Long Tokyo Nights
by Roshelle Diall
Summary: [AU/Future] After ex-partner Shou Fuwa damages her career in the Criminal Investigation Bureau, Kyouko Mogami and Kuon Hizuri, the top officer on the force, become partners. In a city that never sleeps, murders, chases and stakeouts put a strain on a partnership that neither of them want. Still, their long nights spent together bring them closer. Rated M for language, etc.
1. Unlucky

**I do not own Skip Beat! or any of its characters.**

**Thank you to my super fantastic beta reader Aeterna Knight for her help with proofing this chapter!**

* * *

"What did you do this time, Shou?" Kyouko asked, waving the letter in his face, "I had to turn in my weapon and my badge. Never mind getting the third degree from the Personnel and Training Bureau! I tried to say my piece but even with the Tokyo Metro Police Department representative they said I must be lying. Apparently since I'm your partner there's no way I couldn't have known what you were up to."

"Stop worrying, Kyouko. It's just a formality. We've already taken care of everything with the PTB. I just um…misplaced that money in evidence from the Akiyama investigation."

"What do you mean misplaced?" Kyouko questioned as her honey-colored eyes flashed, "Don't tell me you stole money because you just had to get something for that gold digging girlfriend of yours. Here's an idea! How about you just tell Mimori 'NO'? You do it with me enough."

"You're different." He replied quickly.

"Don't remind me!" She screamed, pacing across the carpet of Shou's living room while running a hand through her short, black hair. "I have nothing to do with this, but as usual, I get thrown into the fire with you! Why did you feel the need to steal anything?"

Shou started to speak but Kyouko raised a hand, "I don't even want to know. You never think about anyone but yourself, especially with these women. I swear it's just like being with Akio again."

"Now, now Kyouko. Don't blame me because you make bad choices when it comes to men. Everyone could see that he was an asshole. Everyone except you."

Kyouko was silent. Shou had her there. "I'll admit you're right about that. But since I made the stupid decision to marry him, I was the only one affected. It might seem like the same thing but it's not." She shouted, before lowering her voice, "I could lose my job over this, Shou! I don't have the benefit of having Mommy and Daddy to fall back on for my screw-ups. I've worked so hard since I've been here while you…" her voice started to break, "It would be great if you'd think of someone besides yourself for a change…" Kyouko walked away.

"Look Kyouko, if it means anything," Shou started.

Kyouko turned back around, "It doesn't Shou! You know, you're a poor excuse for a Senior Police Officer and a human being! I hope they fire you and you never see the inside of a precinct ever again! I can't believe I got stuck with you as a partner. I thought I was your friend but now I see that you could care less about me.

"Kyouko, I.."

"It was so embarrassing." she continued, cutting him off. "Getting called to the Chief Superintendent's Office. Hearing the whispers as I left the building. I don't know what your issue is but I've been trying to make this partnership and friendship work for so long. To be honest, I'm glad to finally be rid of you!"

Shou could only sigh, a flicker of emotion showing on his face as he watched the retreating form of his former friend and partner walk out the door.

* * *

December 25th had arrived. Even though it was Kyouko's birthday she didn't feel much like celebrating.

_'Thirty days! I can't believe we both got the same amount of time. I didn't even do anything! Knowing him, he's probably already back at work too.'_

Some friend and some birthday! When Shou first invited her to Tokyo with him at 15, she thought that meant that they could possibly be together. After one year of working her three jobs, it became quite clear that was not going to be the case as he was never in the apartment they shared. Instead, he was sleeping with a different woman every night. He fancied himself a rock star and said he would make it big, and make it he did.

Until one night when things went too far with some groupie and she pressed charges before making her allegations public. There was no coming out from under that. Months later, the woman said she made it all up but by then Shou couldn't recover, returning instead back to his parents for one year to get his life back together. Kyouko decided that they should remain friends though she still worked hard at her jobs.

Then Akio Nakahara came along. They had originally met each other back in middle school in Kyoto. When Kyouko saw him in Tokyo, the universe was in her favor as their connection started to build, or so she thought. Being a somewhat naive 20 year old, she was easily charmed by the man and they were married one year later. After that, Kyouko got her major wake-up call. He was gone every night and she had been through that drama before.

As it turned out Akio had a gambling problem and his debt became Kyouko's debt until she got smart and decided to annul the marriage. Kyouko didn't have the grounds at first but luckily good news landed in her lap. A woman who had been "following" him came to her second job one day and said he was still married and she even provided the document to prove it.

Based on Article 732 of the Japanese civil code Kyouko now had her way out of the marriage. With that it was as if it had never happened, meaning she had no divorce under her belt either. Kyouko vowed never to make such a mistake again. Any man who seemed too good to be true usually was. In addition, Kyouko had no faith whatsoever in her ability to recognize a decent man when she saw one.

Luckily for Kyouko, the proprietors at one of her jobs had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go. Though she was busier now, Kyouko still made time to visit the Darumaya to see the Taisho and Okami once a month. They hadn't changed a bit. The Taisho was still gruff and mostly silent while the Okami made up for it with her caring and enthusiastic manner.

Even after ten years, they were both still as active as ever. Kyouko knew that they both loved her greatly as she did them even if it was sometimes hard for her to show it. After that tough year, Kyouko studied and trained to pursue her new goal. Being accepted into the National Police Administration Bureau had been incredible– it was the first step to becoming an officer with the TMPD.

The day she learned she made it in was even more joyful than the day she received her annulment papers. Kyouko said a special thanks to the blue stone she received so long ago from the young boy by the river in Kyoto. Training was long but she made it through the grueling nine month regimen. Kyouko officially started her post by the time she turned 23.

Shou came around one year later as his parents forced him to make an about face with his life. Instead of barely breaking the law, now he would be helping to uphold it. For what that was worth. But now? This was unbelievable. Kyouko had no other word for it and felt as though she were reliving a bad dream. For the past two years she had worked her hardest and was about to be promoted to Sergeant in the second division of the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

Kyouko and Shou got their start in the seventh division dealing with the arrest of white collar criminals. Thirteen months later, they had finally made their way to the second division. Robberies and rapes were all Kyouko handled and she was able to be of great help to the victims. That was no more. She groaned as her fury peaked and she went over to her stone.

Touching the cool, smooth glass that surrounded the stone made Kyouko feel instantly at ease. Kyouko used to keep it with her at all times, until the day it changed to its orange color and her sadness remained. That had been during the second week of her marriage. Perhaps it had absorbed too much negative energy by then.

Instead of throwing it out she decided to add a special multilayer, unbreakable glass case around it. Not only was it perfectly fit to the stone, but Kyouko could also keep it to see when she was home. The stone hadn't been serving her much purpose until the last two years when she kept it with her on stakeouts. It still fit both in her hand and her pocket and had proven quite useful in taking down a suspect.

She had a gun but with all that was involved with using it, she only had it as a last resort. With that Kyouko opted to use the stone instead. She had become quite good with aiming it at the right spot when taking out a suspect and each time she got it cleaned she felt more confident using it again. Now it was a sort of symbol of good luck. Well as good as Kyouko's luck could get anyway. Having it with her always meant they would get their man, even if it was her that ended up doing all of the work.

Kyouko sighed as she lay back in her bed. Her tears had finally stopped five days ago. Kyouko was now at a point of acceptance of her situation. At first she felt that things just weren't meant to work out for her. For the past three months Kyouko had tried again and again to get assigned to a new partner. At least now that would happen but it would also move her career a step back.

All of this could have been avoided if her superior had just accepted her request. Now, who knew what the future held? It was well-known at this point that she had been suspended so that wouldn't go over well for her future on the force. Other officers would certainly think less of her. She just had to show them she could be trusted.

There were still fifteen days left and she would know her new assignment in another week. The only thing Kyouko could possibly look forward to was that she wouldn't end up with another partner who had issues.

* * *

The first division of the Criminal Investigations Bureau at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was one of the best. With the highest apprehension rate for the worst possible crimes they had to use only the best investigator. Right now and for the past four years running, that was Kuon Hizuri.

He had been a Senior Police Officer from the start of his career eight years ago, and a Sergeant for the last three. That made him the lead on many homicide investigations. Right now he was looking to become an Assistant Inspector which would mean an even larger role in the division.

The fact that he was a loose cannon proved to make that task a bit harder.

He stared down at the files on his desk, deep in thought. The Chief Superintendent wanted him in the office while Kuon wanted to put off the meeting for as long as he could. _'A partner.'_ He scoffed. _'More like a charge._' He had been without a partner since his promotion to Sergeant and preferred to work alone.

Now it was out of his hands. To make matters worse she was only ending her second year and would be coming off of a suspension by the time she joined him. It was hard enough watching his own back and now he would have to worry about someone else.

Kuon had no idea what she was suspended for and frankly he didn't care. You had to do something pretty serious to warrant a suspension in the overworked and undermanned CIB. For the past two years, crime rates in Tokyo were on a steady increase. Given that he didn't want to be saddled with the extra burden it would be easy enough to get rid of her especially since she didn't appear to take the job all that seriously.

That was the one thing he could not tolerate. Crime affected so many people's lives in the city and only the most dedicated officers should be the ones who dealt with it. Kuon moved his chair back and got up, making his way to the door marked, "Chief Superintendent." He knocked three times before he entered.

"You wanted to see me, Sir."

CS Kaneshiro looked up from the papers he was signing, "Ah, it's about time you made it here Kuon. I wanted to touch base with you concerning your new partner."

Kuon grimaced, "With all due respect, I can't believe you have me babysitting. I thought my position was more important than that."

Kaneshiro sighed, rubbing both hands over his thin, graying hair before using one to reach for his cup of stale coffee, "You're an excellent detective Hizuri but this latest EF complaint might stick. I know you're passionate about the job but you can't just throw suspects into walls, no matter how much they taunt you."

"Excessive force? Is that what Muramoto told you? That's not true at all. He hit me first so I had to retaliate." Kuon said, his face serious.

Sure Muramoto was drunk, and only managed to hit the air, but had he been sober he would have grazed Kuon and so a lesson needed to be taught. A person can't just try to punch police officers and not expect some kind of consequence. It would set a bad precedent.

Kuon was sure the knot he put on Muramoto's head would make him think twice before getting behind the wheel when drinking. Kuon of all people could understand needing to take the edge off with alcohol, but at least he had the good sense to keep his "occasional imbibing" confined within the walls of his home.

"We'll see how it plays out." Kaneshiro remarked, tapping his fingers on the desk while giving Kuon a long, meaningful look. "It may not be true in this case, but we both know that you've edged a little too close to the line on more than one occasion. You should be alright, but it's a fine line you're walking. If you work well with Mogami then you'll only be helping yourself, especially given her current position." He finished as he handed the file to Kuon.

Kuon paused as he looked at the file. Kyouko Mogami, first a member of the seventh division and then the second division and currently a senior police officer who had been on the fast track to Sergeant. She had to serve a 30 day suspension along with her ex-partner Shou Fuwa. The reasons were kept confidential.

Shou Fuwa? No wonder she had gone off track. Since his parents were an important part of the police force he did the bare minimum required. Kuon wasn't even sure why he was a police officer.

"Why is he still working here?"Kuon asked Kaneshiro.

"He's not. Superintendent General Sugawara finally put his foot down and his parents understood. The CIB or even the TMPD can't possibly run effectively with officers like that, especially with the caseload that we're currently handling."

"So why does she get a chance, then? She's shown that she's no better than him." Kuon asked, putting the folder back on the desk.

"Actually, she's really put in some work. Mogami was just about to get your current position in the second division and it only took her one year longer than you. She's very good with the victims also but she's at a crossroads right now." Kaneshiro paused as he took another sip of his tepid drink, "She'll either get past this and keep moving forward or stay exactly where she's at. I put her with you because I know you'll be able to tell if she's worth keeping around while giving her the push that she needs to get back on track."

Kuon nodded, starting to get up, "I'd be lying if I said I was happy about it, but I answer to the CIB, so I'll do as you ask."

"I'm glad to hear that, Kuon. Maybe you guys can help each other out."

"I seriously doubt that, sir." Kuon stated, holding back a laugh.

"By the way, how are things coming along with the Tanaguchi case?"

"We have a new lead we're investigating. It seems he's left the country, but we're watching and waiting. According to our recent source, he'll be back sometime next week."

"Great! Mogami will be joining you then. It'll do her good to get some real training. We all know that ex-partner of hers was pretty useless. Who knows where we'll have to start with her."

Kuon could feel his blood pressure rising again, _'Just fucking perfect.' _Out loud he said_,_ "I'm going to get back to work."

"Hizuri." Kaneshiro barked as Kuon turned around, "Try not to stay here too late. I know there are a lot of open cases but you need to try and maintain some kind of balance. There's no sense in driving yourself crazy."

'_I have to push myself. I'd never do anything less than that to honor Rick's memory. It took me a while to get a handle on the whole situation with him. Hell, I probably still haven't completely resolved all of my problems which is why I won't stand for anyone who doesn't bring their full time and dedication to solving murders.'_ He thought as he looked down at his watch, nodded and gave the CS a small smile. "I'll do my best, sir."

* * *

"Good morning, Kaneshiro-sama." Kyouko greeted him with a bow.

"Have a seat, Mogami."

Kyouko quickly got in the chair before he spoke,

"I've been looking at your file and I see that you're in a delicate position. Officers usually burn out in their second year and your old partner and suspension aren't doing you any favors." he stated.

"I can't discuss my file, but I need to let you know that I would never do anything to put my partner or my position at risk. I just got caught up in the middle of someone else's mess." Kyouko replied as a dark aura started to escape from her.

"I understand. It took me a while to get the Personnel and Training Bureau to cough up that much though I still don't know the nature of the incident."

"My apologies sir, but I'm not at liberty to say anything." Kyouko replied.

"I'm afraid that won't bode well for your partner. Hizuri is an excellent officer and has the respect of everyone here. That being said, he is quite difficult to work with. Given your track record with Fuwa we need someone who can keep him on the straight and narrow and at the moment, you're the most suitable for the job."

"Really? Me?" Kyouko responded, trying to keep her voice normal as she looked down at her hands, '_Just great. The one thing I wanted to avoid ends up happening. This is the story of my life, I suppose. Might as well make the best of it.'_ Kyouko forced a smile on her face as she looked up, "Understood, sir. I'm just happy that you've given me a second chance."

"Don't be too happy. I will go with whatever Hizuri decides. I said he's the best officer so he is meant to help you along. If you fail to make a good impression then you could possibly be done with fieldwork for good and sitting behind the counter in evidence. Right now it's completely up to you how you choose to proceed."

Kyouko frowned. Processing and storing, while being important, was not the direction she wanted her career to go. "I see." '_I'll have to figure out how to make him see that I'm a good officer. It will prove a bit tough but I've worked hard in the past. I can do this. I can show him he can trust me. I have to do this.'_

"We'll give you a probationary period of ninety days. If I hear anything bad then you will be gone sooner. If Hizuri has something positive to say, we'll definitely keep you on." The CS paused for a moment, "For the record, I happen to think that you're a good officer and the TMPD needs more that are like you." Kaneshiro said putting the file away, "Well that's all from me. You'll be reporting back here in three more days. For right now, I'll let you meet your new partner."

He got up and made a motion outside of the door. Five minutes later, the door opened and in walked Kuon Hizuri. Dressed impeccably in a crisp blue dress shirt and perfectly pressed black pants, his shoes shined while his green eyes glinted like the coldest steel as he took in her features.

She was a bit on the short side but her dark hair and golden eyes were familiar to him somehow. He had no idea how she made it this far since it seemed like a strong wind would send her flying, though the look of determination set on her face was a bonus. Still, all the guts in the world could only get her so far.

Kyouko on the other hand was already intimidated. Never mind that he was so tall, but she could feel the hostility coming off of him in waves. No matter how captivating he was, she had to remember to make a good impression. To do that she had to make sure not to walk into any of his traps. He was definitely one of _those_ types who had everyone hanging on his every word, falling all over themselves to impress him or even hop into bed with him.

_'It's not like he's interested in someone like me anyway. I'm always being told how boring and plain I am. That's probably why I attract the kind of people I do.'_ Kyouko instantly chided herself for having such a thought. Here she was, looking at the man who would determine the direction of her career in the TMPD and she was concerning herself with something that had nothing to do with her, or even work for that matter.

Still, she was sure that tactic had done in more than one of his partners. She'd read up on him once she'd gotten the call yesterday. Out of his six partners three of them had been women. It was always the females that went first. Kyouko wouldn't give in, not for a second. Her career was in the hands of this man and she couldn't afford to mess up. Could she possibly expect him to go easy on her?

"Good morning! It's a pleasure to meet you, Hizuri-sama," Kyouko stood up and greeted him with a bow.

"Good morning. It should be interesting to work with you, Mogami-san." Kuon replied with a smile that shined as bright as the sun.

In all of her 25 years Kyouko had never been more sure of one thing as she squinted her eyes against his smile:

Kuon Hizuri was going to fillet her,

Then grill her.

Cut her into pieces,

Then eat her alive.

Kyouko's only hope was that when he was done there would be some part of her left over.


	2. Captured

**Thanks so much for your reviews, faves and follows! Names at the end of the chapter.**

**I do not own Skip Beat! or any of its characters.**

**Thank you also to my fantastic beta reader Aeterna Knight for proofing this chapter.**

* * *

The sun broke over the horizon right as Kyouko ran through the gate of her apartment complex. Wiping the sweat from her eyes, Kyouko looked down at her stopwatch, smiling as she looked at the 12 minute time she had clocked in for her usual 3.2 kilometer morning run. Luckily, today the weather had cooperated, though a storm was supposed to be moving in later on.

Making her way to the fitness center, Kyouko pushed open the doors, a blast of heat meeting her as she made her way to the mats and wrapped her hands up with ace bandages. It was time to practice her taiho jitsu moves along with some aikido before finishing up on the punching bag. Guns on the TMPD were used only in the most extreme cases and even then as a last resort. With that in mind, it was important to keep up with her martial arts training.

Kyouko always loved how she felt after her sessions, the thumps of the punching bag being music to her ears. Some days she would pretend that it was her idiot ex-colleague when she really wanted to work up a sweat. Kyouko loved having an outlet for her anger and she had a feeling she would be doing a lot more of it as time passed with her new partner.

Seven-thirty a.m. approached as Kyouko finished. She grabbed a chilled bottle of water before taking off for home to get a shower and nab some breakfast. The first day of work was finally here. For the past three days she had prepared herself as much as she could mentally so that she could handle anything her partner had in store for her.

This was going to be a long day. Kyouko was used to them by now but she had no idea what to expect when it came to murders. She had to work in the morning for a few hours before taking three hours off. She had to meet Hizuri later to stakeout an address for a criminal who had just returned to Japan. For whatever reason he didn't want to tell her who it was, which annoyed Kyouko but wasn't unexpected.

Kyouko looked in the bathroom mirror and closed her eyes. Sitting in a car for hours with Kuon Hizuri was not her idea of a good time. She made a note to herself not to forget about the stone. At least with that she was more confident in trying to capture this brazen killer. Giving the apartment one last look over, she heaved a large sigh and she locked the door before making her way to the car.

* * *

Kuon looked over to the clock, moving the nearly empty bottle of vodka on his nightstand. The dull aching in his head was a reminder of last night's activities. Another Monday.

He closed his eyes, reaching over to his nightstand to finger the watch which still read 2:13 that lay there. That was what ground him, what helped him get through the day. Remembering that all that he did was for his friend helped him. He slowly sat up in bed, not moving until the room stopped spinning. Today, Kuon started his shift later so he didn't need to be at work until ten.

The numerous cases remained and some leads needed to be found. He made his way to the bathroom before turning on the shower. Hearing the soft spray of the water had a calming effect on him. Hopping in he tried to clear his thoughts as he allowed the warm water to course down his tall frame.

At half past nine, now clean and dressed, he left, stopping to grab some coffee on the way to the precinct. When he entered he stifled a groan as he saw that _she_ now occupied a desk right across from him.

"Good morning, Hizuri-sama." Kyouko was out of her seat, bowing to him.

Kuon gave a quick nod before sitting down. "Did you meet everyone?" He hoped the answer was yes. He was in no mood to waste time introducing her.

"Yes, I was worried that I was the only woman. I'm glad to see that I was wrong."

Kuon nodded, half listening as he pulled out a file before handing it across to Kyouko, "This is the man we're targeting tonight. He killed an older couple while robbing the stand that they own. The quicker we get him off the street, the better."

Kyouko nodded as a trace of sadness crossed her features. Murder was horrible on its own, but she thought of the Taisho and Okami when she looked at the victims, only making it worse. What could possibly make a person go after them, especially since they complied and gave him what he wanted?

"Tanaguchi. I remember him. We were just about to arrest him for five robberies when I was in the second division."

"Well apparently you guys didn't move quick enough since he escalated to murder and was able to take two innocent victims with him."

_'That wasn't fair._' Kyouko thought, her frown increasing as she turned the pages, trying to ignore the comment. Kyouko felt bad but it wasn't like she single-handedly walked Tanaguchi up to the stand that night and gave him the knife. Hizuri should know as well as anyone that if he wanted to kill, he would find a way to do it. "Will we be using our guns?" Kyouko asked

Kuon nodded. "We'll keep them as a last resort. I'm hoping they won't be necessary. Since he's coming back, he's probably thinking that he's managed to keep us off of his trail. Hopefully the element of surprise will work in our favor."

"Hopefully." Kyouko responded with a nod.

Kyouko looked at the two other files sitting on her desk. One involved a shootout outside of a popular nightclub called _Shion_ known for its connection to drugs and the _yakuza_. The yakuza were well-known for organized crime. Although laws had been passed in the past few years with the intention to diminish their influence, their numbers were rising faster than ever.

The top three factions at the moment were the Yamaguci-gumi, Sumiyoshi-kai and Inagawa-kai. They were looking at the murder but once they could find the connection that information would be forwarded to the third division. They dealt with controlled substances and organized crime.

The second was a more recent one of a young woman found in a room at the Peninsula Tokyo Hotel. She skimmed the file, looking over the notes before she flipped through the pages detailing the crime scene and any evidence that had been collected.

Kyouko could always remember the names and the faces of the victims. Every victim had loved ones and a life that was cut short. The least she could do was work her hardest to see that justice was served. That was the oath that she and every other officer of the TPMD had taken and sworn to uphold.

Kyouko looked across the desk at Hizuri and sighed. He was frowning over a file of his own. How could she possibly show him that she was better than her recent history indicated? Kyouko hoped this would be her last stop and that she could begin to move up in the ranks again.

The only person who could make sure that didn't happen was not interested in saying more than two words to her at the moment. Kyouko focused her mind back on something she had a better chance of figuring out, reading over every detail in the files.

* * *

Four p.m. arrived in Tokyo and found Kyouko on her couch, eyes closed with her hands behind her head. This was her usual meditation position since she found it to be the most relaxing. Today would need to be a longer than normal session.

After spending the first part of her day being ignored by her partner, she was made to go meet with the PTB to go over the details of her probation. She had no room for error or she would be kicked off the force. Kyouko had never done anything wrong and it unnerved her that so many people would be watching her every move.

The added pressure was all a little overwhelming. She wished she could talk to Kanae. They had met when Kyouko had to testify in her first trial against a white collar criminal.

Kyouko sighed knowing her friend had a huge caseload of her own working at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. Her boss Yukihito Yashiro was nice enough but also cracked down when it came to trying criminal cases. They had to keep their ninety percent conviction rate intact somehow.

Opening her eyes, Kyouko was surprised to see that so much time had passed. Kyouko watched as the clock changed to 5:30. Hizuri would be here to pick her up in forty minutes so that they could be outside of Tanaguchi's location by 6:45. It was his habit to always show up at least fifteen minutes before to uphold his reputation of never showing up late.

She threw on a camisole first before putting on her stab vest. She covered that with a long sleeved white shirt and then a black pantsuit. She went and grabbed her "stakeout pack" that contained wipes, tissue, a space for her stone and snacks. Tonight she would be enjoying baked edamame, sweet potato cookies and her guilty pleasure of Pocky.

A couple of bottles of water were tossed in and as an afterthought she tossed in her white gloves and her reflective waterproof jacket since the clouds still loomed overhead. Placing her bowler cap on her head Kyouko locked the door and went to the entrance of her complex right as Kuon pulled up. He was in a black, unmarked Mercedes CLS which made sense considering they would be in a higher class area where the car wouldn't stand out.

"Good evening."

He gave a nod, keeping his eyes on the road as Kyouko got in the car. Kyouko sighed as she leaned back in the seat. '_I'm as ready for this as I'm going to be.'_

* * *

Nearly six hours had passed. Surprisingly the time had gone by okay. Only because Kyouko had yet to say anything to her partner. Looking up, the windows in the apartment remained dark. Kuon checked his phone to read an e-mail from Yashiro. He smiled as he learned that Hisoka Imae had received a prison term of forty years.

To say that Japan's prisons were tough was an understatement so he was glad the man would see firsthand exactly what that meant. It was still better than he deserved. Kuon could still see the faces of the family of six he left in cold blood. All because of a work dispute.

A small smile crossed Kuon's face thinking of his friend. Even though their careers took different paths with Kuon going to the police academy and Yashiro going to law school, they still kept in touch for twelve years as great friends. Kuon tried to see him whenever he could, even if Yashiro was a little to concerned about the his non-existent love life.

"So what's our plan of action?" Kuon heard her ask. Kuon sighed, wishing he could ignore the presence in the car with him.

"Simple, we keep our eyes open and when we see him, you hang back and let me do the takeover. I've got to be able to overpower him to get him in."

Kyouko frowned, "I don't mean to question you, but is that the only way to get him? It seems like I could do something to help."

"It will work fine." He said, cutting her off, "The last I checked I'm the one with more apprehensions."

"I'm sorry. Like I said, I'm not trying to offend you. It's just..." Kyouko started quietly. _Ugh!_ She couldn't think properly she was so on edge around this man. "It's just that it looks like it might rain, so maybe we should think of more than one way to do this. Running when it's wet only increases our chances of getting injured and his chance of getting away. We should be prepared for anything that could happen."

Kuon gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. She was right. Though he'd never tell her that. "What do you suggest then, since you seem to be the more experienced, _Mogami-san?_"

"Never mind; you won't like it."

"Just say it." He responded curtly, his patience wearing dangerously thin.

"I think I should be the one to go after him. Since I'm smaller I'll be able to get to him a little faster, but you can still do the takedown."

"I'm quick, But I get what you mean. We'll have to wait and see how the conditions are. We still haven't seen a light in the place. I don't even know if he is actually here."

"I'm positive we'll get him." Kyouko stated in an encouraging tone.

"What makes you so sure?" Kuon questioned, a bitter tone in his voice.

"Because of this." Kyouko said pulling out her stone.

Seeing the glass out of the corner of his eye, Kuon responded, "Some random souvenir won't be of much help to us."

"It's very important to me. I've had it for almost twenty years. Every time I've had it with me on a stakeout, we've captured the suspect. Though it was usually me who had to do all of the chasing. Don't worry we'll get him. I just know it."

Kuon had no response. Her optimism was a refreshing change and what she was saying would be nice in theory. However, once they were in the thick of things, who knew what could happen?

"Did you need to go to the bathroom or anything? We can take turns really quick."

Kyouko nodded. That was probably a good idea. "I'll be right back. Did you want me to get anything to eat?"

Kuon handed her some yen. "Just grab me some onigiri on your way out."

"Okay, I'll be back." Kyouko replied as she power walked to the convenience store.

'_Finally some peace. Just like the old days.'_ Kuon focused his attention back on the window. Still dark. He frowned, if he didn't notice movement in the next two hours he was going to have to call headquarters and drop this effort for tonight. Kuon would rather avoid that unfortunate turn of events that left an armed killer on the streets.

* * *

Kyouko left the bathroom in the convenience store, glad to be out of that car. Kyouko started scanning the aisles with her eyes for the onigiri Kuon asked her to get, wondering how anyone could eat that stuff.

She'd rather offer him some of what she had. In his current mood, however, there was absolutely no way Kyouko was going to be opening her mouth for any reason. She groaned in annoyance, he was letting his personal feelings get in the way of thinking rationally.

She was dismayed to notice the fine sweat that had broken out over her skin as soon as she stepped out into the cold, humid air. It was because of him. They should be able to put everything on the table whether they agreed with how to go about it or not. The most important thing was to capture the suspect. Kyouko tried to calm down her breathing as she pulled open the car door.

"Here you go." she muttered handing him the bag.

"Thanks." he said as he dug into it and pulled out the package. The sound of plastic opening echoed in the car as Kyouko turned her attention to the dark window five floors up.

Ten minutes later, the car door opened and shut as Kuon went out to use the bathroom. Kyouko grabbed her wipes wiping herself down while thinking about grabbing some Pocky. Suddenly Kyouko saw a light blink on as well as a faint shadow moving in the room._ Could it be?_ The car door opened and she was just about to say something when Kuon asked,

"How long has the light been on?"

"Not even a minute." Kyouko replied.

He nodded and took his seat again. Kuon couldn't make out any outline so wasn't sure if this was in fact Tanaguchi.

"I'm thinking that he must have stopped in to pack some things and pick up some money from someone before he leaves Japan again." Kyouko nodded as he continued, "Unless he's a complete idiot, he likely won't turn off the light, so we both need to pay close attention to when there's no more movement. I'll go out first and stay close to the building. When I make the signal you stand on the other side of the alley."

"Got it." Kyouko replied taking a sip of water. Her pulse was racing and she could feel the familiar rush of adrenaline that prepared her for a run in the morning.

"I don't see anything." Kyouko said in a hushed voice.

"Neither do I." Kuon said as he opened the door.

Walking stealthily, Kuon moved in the darkness to get beside the building. Kyouko was able to faintly make out his outline. She held her breath as she waited for his signal. A raising of his hand brought her out of the car as well. Making sure her gun was concealed, Kyouko made her way to the alley.

She closed her eyes remembering a bit of her meditation. This man absolutely couldn't leave the country. Willing her heart to stop hammering, she looked all around her, noticing a faint movement in the alley coming right towards her.

Kyouko couldn't figure out how he could have possibly made it out of the building, as they had all of his exits covered. No way he climbed out of the window from five stories up. Did he? There must have been another exit. In any event this was not good!

She couldn't signal Kuon without arousing any suspicion and causing him to run, she could only hope he would pay attention to her movements. Right now Tanaguchi was only five meters away–a little too close for Kyouko's comfort.

She watched as Tanaguchi walked under a streetlight. Something glinted sharply from his right palm. It was a knife, Tanaguchi's weapon of choice. Kyouko then grimaced as a chill went through her, having nothing to do with the cold. She would really like a little backup right now but she still couldn't move safely.

If he stabbed her, the stab vest would protect most of her vital organs, she just couldn't let him aim it too high. Kyouko slinked around the corner out of his sight, hoping she could get Kuon's attention.

Peeking her head around the corner, Kyouko saw that Tanaguchi was still coming. Kyouko had to think quick. She still had the stone in her pocket. She could throw it out when he didn't expect it. Maybe that would distract him enough to get him to stumble and drop something. If things went well it would be the weapon, at which point she would make her move.

Kyouko took deep breaths as her eyes moved back over. Tanaguchi was three meters away now. '_Here goes nothing.'_ she thought as she pulled out the stone and threw it. The glass made a sound as it slid across the concrete right into the murderer's path.

Luckily the car driving by at that moment muffled most of the sound. Just as Kyouko hoped he wasn't paying attention and tripped right over it. In the decision between his weapon and his bag, the bag won out. The knife skittered across the pavement over to a parked car.

"Shit!" the man cursed, trying to make his way over to the fallen weapon.

Thinking better of it, Tanaguchi chose to make a run for it instead. Kuon made it over to him by then and gave the man a well placed kick into his back that sent him flying down the sidewalk.

_'Impressive!'_ Kyouko thought as she watched the criminal land in front of her.

She ran over to start to subdue him as Kuon made his way over. She was just about to grab the man's arm and dig her knee into his back to begin the arrest procedure. Somehow he was already moving, pushing himself off of the ground and making a break for it.

Kyouko was on his heels.

"Fuck!" Kuon swore as he took off after his partner.

A couple leaving the convenience store nearly collided with the man. Kyouko and Kuon had to slow down to avoid slamming into the stunned pair as well.

"Stay back, please!" Kyouko yelled resuming the pursuit.

Kyouko realized there was a train station about three kilometers away. She spotted Tanaguchi running at breakneck speed and had nearly a kilometer on them. She kept running as Kuon joined her.

"Now what?" Kyouko asked between gasps. Tanaguchi was about half a kilometer away and she was gaining ground fast.

Kuon shrugged, he still couldn't believe the man had jumped up so quickly from his kick.

"Please watch out!" Kyouko yelled as another man nearly ran into Tanaguchi.

The startled man jumped out of the way just as they ran by. The area was starting to slope upward, making running a bit tougher. They could both see that Tanaguchi was slowly losing steam. Two minutes later he stumbled again and fell. He picked himself back up and started running. Kyouko could sense an opening as the terrain got even rougher. No way would he make it through this area.

Summoning up her energy, Kyouko ran even faster. Not a moment later, Tanaguchi fell to his knees on the pavement once again. This time he wasn't getting back up. Only seconds after his collision with the ground, Kyouko dug her knee into his backside, finally making the arrest.

"Don't move." Kuon said as Kyouko stepped back, catching her breath. He wasn't even breathing hard.

'_Of course._' Kyouko thought growing irritated. '_I need to step up my training.'_

Kyouko reached for her radio and called for a car. Tanaguchi was now handcuffed and brought to his feet. Kuon wanted nothing more than to throw him back to the ground but he held back. The Kuon from a few years ago would have done it with no problem.

Today, he was not one to kick a defenceless, unarmed man even if he had committed such an act against many defenceless, unarmed people. Aside from a scrape on the side of his chin and dirt on his face Tanaguchi was no worse for wear as he stood, gasping for air. Five minutes later a car arrived with lights flashing and siren blaring.

"Tanaguchi. We knew you could get him Hizuri." the first officer remarked as he got out and walked around to the back of the cruiser.

"Nice." the other officer spoke up, giving Kuon a nod.

Kuon opened the back door. Tanaguchi's head missed the top of the car by a couple of centimeters as he shoved him into the backseat.

"We've got it from here." One of the men said as they secured him to the seat from both sides of the car before getting back into it.

Kuon nodded and waved to them before he started walking.

Kyouko was already walking back a bit annoyed at being completely ignored by every officer. Not only had she been stuck in a car with Hizuri for the past eight hours but he was a total jerk. Her quick thinking was what had enabled them to have a chance to even begin their pursuit. She hated to admit it but not receiving even a slight bit of praise hurt her more than she thought it would.

Kyouko wasn't trying to steal Hizuri's thunder or get on his bad side. At the end of the day Tanaguchi was a killer and they had to use their resources as partners to get him off the street. She sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought. All Kyouko really wanted was for Kuon to trust her and treat her as an equal. She trusted him. That was how it was supposed to go in any partnership, be it a working, business or personal one.

Kyouko looked to the sky at the gray clouds still looming as she smelled the rain in the air.

_'Fitting for the type of night I've had.' _she thought making her way back to the alley.

The fact of the matter was that she wasn't his equal. At this rate, she had no idea if she ever would be. She also had no clue how to go about getting to that point or at least getting him to acknowledge her. Now at three a.m. she was ready to take a nice, hot shower and go to bed to the comforting sounds of the rain that was sure to be falling against her window.

That thought started to brighten Kyouko's mood. Even if she didn't get any recognition, she played a part in successfully capturing a killer on her first stakeout in the first division. A few minutes later she passed by the alley and went to retrieve her stone. Taking a look at it in the streetlight she saw that it was still undamaged.

Unknown to her Kuon, who walked back behind her, saw her holding it up as well. He hadn't even looked in her direction when she mentioned it in the car but now, a piece of his past came flooding back as he saw it.

_'I didn't get a good look before, but I'd recognize that color anywhere. That's my stone.'_

Kuon realized that from the time he had opened her file that he hadn't actually looked at her. A quick glance yes, but usually he either ignored her or used his smile to get her to look away or look down. Now that he could see her fully under the light he came to a startling conclusion.

Just then her cell phone went off. Kuon's did too. Kyouko saw him answer it as he walked back to the car. She ran to get in the passenger's side. A call this late meant only one thing.

There would be no shower or sleeping just yet. A new case had come in and they were next up in the rotation.

* * *

**A/N:** **Thanks for reading! I'm working more on my action scenes so I hope this was sufficient and realistic.**

And now for the usual:

**Thanks so much for all of your:**

**Reviews:** My-Nightmare-Is-My-Life, Shiroyuki76, Neheigh, ecchri, thevaheeshini, Jewelprincess7, VKLOREO23, daredevilgirl, Alia Inverse, FeatheredPhoenix and Guests(3)

**Faves:** Jewelprincess7, My-Nightmare-Is-My-Life, NamesCat, Neheigh, SB-KMS-OSN-OHSHC-EDLA, VKLOREO23, thevaheeshini and xXxStrawberryAngelxXx

**Follows:** AgentJoy, Alia Inverse, EndGameGirl, FeatheredPhoenix, Frayedsoul17, Insena, Jewelprincess7, LaurelNymph, My-Nightmare-Is-My-Life-, Neheigh, PinkyRocks, Silent Uke Fuu, The Buddha Gangsta, VKLOREO23, Wide-Eyed-Wonderer, fallen95, fireroot, , mustardtan, nublet, xxDCxx

Also thank you to all of the silent readers and those who followed or favorited me as an author.


	3. Loss

**I do not own Skip Beat! or its characters.**

**Thanks for your reviews, faves and follows!**

**Many thanks to my beta Aeterna Knight for proofing in this chapter!**

* * *

The inside of the car was silent as Kyouko and Kuon went to the scene, save for the occasional sounds of radio chatter filtering in through the speaker. Kyouko still held the stone in her hand. As she ran her fingers over its cold smoothness, she wondered again about what happened to the former owner of the stone.

Thinking of that fairy from long ago had kept her going during her darkest times. When she first received it from him, Kyouko had felt truly alone with her mother gone. She secretly hoped that the woman she tried so hard to please would come looking for her, would want her. Things had changed so much since then.

Kuon also found himself lost in thoughts of his own as he drove on autopilot. He would have to re-read the file the department had on Kyouko. He could hardly believe this was that same bright and carefree girl he had spent the best days of his childhood with back in Kyoto. That was so long ago.

She had done well for herself tonight but one capture was hardly enough to prove her worthy of remaining on the force. Kuon had to make sure to keep her past in that precise place. The past. The same as he tried to do even with himself. Opening up or wondering about any of it would cause nothing but trouble.

Red and blue flashing police lights guided them to the location. A light rain started to fall as Kuon pulled into the apartment complex and parked. Kyouko gratefully jumped out of the car and was about to run over when she remembered that her partner was the lead on the case. Kyouko hung back, waiting for him to get in front of her. The residence was located downstairs.

Once they were at the door a female officer greeted them, or rather greeted Kuon.

"Hey Hizuri." She said in a low, sultry voice. With swift, graceful movements she edged her statuesque figure closer to him, placing a hand on his arm while she whispered something in his ear. In response he smiled and shrugged before crossing the threshold of the apartment.

Kyouko gave an audible sigh as a petite woman, with slightly unkempt hair bustled up to them when they walked in.

"Have you found anything so far?" Kuon asked as his eyes scanned the immediate area, looking for anything that could possibly be out of place.

The furnishings were sparse but adequate, a worn brown couch and love seat set was in the living room with no coffee table. The body was situated between the furniture.

"We've got latent prints and it looks like the weapon is next to the couch. We've bagged everything we could find in the area. Her extremities are covered because I'm hoping to find more prints there." Said the first crime scene investigator.

Another man spoke up, "We've also collected hair samples as well as a latex glove. Hopefully we can lift some partials. There was also some blood we found right here." The man stopped pointing to the victim's feet, "We don't think it belonged to her, so I'll rush it to the lab to see if we can get a DNA profile to compare it to."

_'Even with the rush that will still take at least two weeks.'_ He thought grimly."Thanks," Kuon stated, turning to the door where the medical examiner had just entered, "Are you able to determine the time of death?" He asked as he and Kyouko grabbed latex gloves, putting them on as they approached the body.

Moving down to her knees, she placed a thermometer in the victim's torso before picking up an arm with her gloved hand. After a few minutes she pulled the thermometer out and looked at it as she lifted the body. "Based on liver temp and lividity, I have to say at least ten hours. Rigor is fixed so that fits in with the time which could be anywhere from ten to fifteen hours. I'll know more when I can get the van here and get her back to the morgue."

"I think we've gotten everything we can from the victim. We'll have to check other areas of the residence." Kuon said.

As Kyouko walked away to check the kitchen, the picture on the wall shelf caught her eye. In fact she was so focused on it that she failed to notice the officer until she nearly ran into him.

"Sorry." Kyouko said quickly before she continued. "Have you cleared the house yet?" Kyouko asked.

He nodded, indicating the rooms were empty. Kuon flashed her a questioning look.

"There's a child in the picture. It's just him and his mother so where is he?" Kyouko asked, gesturing to the wall. The officers around offered no answer so she volunteered herself. "Don't worry, I'm good with children. I'm sure it's why I still have my job."

Remembering his most recent conversation with Kaneshiro, Kuon knew for a fact that was true. Looking at her for the second time all night he replied, "Let me know what you find."

"I will." Kyouko replied.

* * *

Kyouko reached the child's room first. She flipped on the switch and looked around. Numerous stuffed animals filled the space along with a light blue color scheme.

The room looked empty enough but she needed to look from a child's point of view. Getting down on all fours, Kyouko crawled along the floor, opening the closet and checking under the bed. Seeing nothing and satisfied that no one was there, she made her way to the master bedroom.

"Hello?" Kyouko called quietly as she turned on the light, "I know you're scared, but I just want to make sure that you're okay." She walked some more, "If you're here, please say something."

Kyouko heard nothing so she went to check the bathroom. Pulling back the curtain, she saw that the bathtub was empty. Leaving there, she went back into the room and down to the floor to see if there was any room under the bed. Then she heard it— a low bump.

'_That came from the closet.' _

Kyouko turned the light off before opening the door so as not to scare whoever was inside.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you." She called softly.

Kyouko scanned the space trying to put herself in the place of a scared child. She settled on an opening behind a small dresser. The first thing Kyouko saw was the white of a stuffed bunny.

"There you are. My name is Kyouko. Do you want to tell me your name?" Kyouko asked, keeping her voice steady despite the fact that her emotions were all over the place. '_Had he heard his mother being murdered? How long has he been here? The time of death could have been as long as fifteen hours.'_ Kyouko thought as she saw the glistening trails on the boy's already tear-streaked face.

"You're safe now."

* * *

Back in the living room Kuon, careful not to cross the yellow tape, looked at the body. He was still waiting for the Medical Examiner's vehicle to arrive. The victim looked to be in her mid to late 20's. He picked up the murder weapon inside of the evidence bag and called an officer over.

There were no defensive wounds so Kuon guessed there hadn't been much of a struggle. There were also few stab wounds so that ruled out a crime of passion. The position of the body was similar to the one he had seen at the Peninsula Hotel but it was way too early to attempt to make any connection.

"Who was first at the scene?" Kuon asked as an officer stepped up.

"That would be me, Hizuri-sama."

"Was the door open when you arrived?" He asked.

"Yes sir. We got the call from a neighbor. She said that she heard some unusual sounds and thought that there might be a robbery in progress. We got in and saw the door ajar. Upon entry we discovered the body."

Kuon nodded, "I don't see a purse anywhere which is unusual. We also need to find out if she has a vehicle of some kind. I don't see anything but I need you guys to keep looking."

Kuon opened a drawer hoping to find an address book but not expecting that he would. In this day and age of cellphones and email, something like that wasn't going to be around. He was shutting the last drawer when the female officer who had greeted him outside walked over, "The neighbor is here."

Kuon smiled, "Thank you, Emi." Kuon made his way to the door to meet the distraught older woman.

"Good evening Miss...?"

"I'm Mrs. Izanami Ando." She responded, running a nervous hand through her graying hair.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me Mrs. Ando." Kuon remarked, taking off his gloves and then reaching in his jacket to pull out his notebook, "I'm Detective Hizuri and I wanted to ask you a few questions about the events that took place."

She nodded, giving a nervous laugh as they walked outside. Kuon, spotting a patio chair offered her a place to sit down before he started. The covering offered them protection from the rain that had steadily been pouring down for the past hour.

"Do you happen to know the victim's name or if she had a vehicle?"

Izanami nodded, "Her name is Masuyo Imada. She owned a black 2010 Honda Civic."

"I need to know to the best of your memory everything you heard. It would have been anywhere from one to five p.m."

"I didn't really hear anything at that time since I wasn't around." She began as she tugged on her dark knit sweater. "Every weekday she usually leaves around six a.m. and gets back around four thirty in the evening. I thought it was odd that I didn't hear anything when I got back but sometimes she visits family in Osaka so I didn't think anything of it."

"Do you have any idea where she worked?"

"I'm not completely sure, but it was for one of the high end hotels."

Kuon nodded as he wrote down the details as she continued,

"I heard the noises around one a.m. Some nights I get to bed late so I was just sitting in bed watching an old drama. I peeked out the window and saw no lights were on but it looked like the door was open. I didn't want to put myself in any danger, so I called you guys right away."

Kuon smiled at the woman, "You did the right thing. Did you happen to notice the door being open anytime after five today?"

Mrs. Ando sat for a moment as if she were thinking it over before she shook her head, "I'm sorry. I go to visit my husband at the Sany Nursing Home in Shinjuku four times a week. I didn't get home until after six. When I got here I don't remember seeing anything unusual."

"There's no need to apologize."

She gasped suddenly, "Oh my goodness! What about Katsu?" The woman asked as tears came to her light brown eyes. "She never goes anywhere without him and if she's not there, he's usually with me." She paused, wiping her eyes before she continued, "I try to help her out whenever I can. She didn't have any family, but she did have some friends. I believe they own some space over in Roppongi Hills. There's no father in the picture as far as I can tell." she reflected. "Oh dear, I seem to be rambling again."

Kuon smiled, "Don't worry, it's fine. You've been very helpful. As for the boy, I believe my partner is taking care of that. I just need to get a message to her." He replied pulling out his phone, "Excuse me for a moment." He said as he typed on his phone.

* * *

Kyouko was still on the outside of the closet, not wanting to startle the boy anymore. Just then an officer appeared. Kyouko put a finger to her lips as she pointed. He walked over and whispered to her instead,

"I need to look for her purse."

Kyouko nodded as the tone sounded on her phone. Looking down, she saw the message:

**_"The boy's name is Katsu."_**

Kyouko walked inside the closet, closing the door behind her until it was open just a crack.

"I know you're really scared but I won't hurt you." She assured him before asking, "Is your name Katsu?"

He nodded, squeezing his bunny a little tighter as his fine, dark hair moved slightly to cover his eyes.

"You're doing good, Katsu. I'm going to turn the light on. I just need to see that you're okay."_  
_

He nodded again and Kyouko, taking his hand opened the door and walked into the room. Then she turned on the light and walked over to the boy. Her heart clenched as she saw fresh tears roll down his face. He wrapped his arms tightly around Kyouko's waist before he saying, "Mommy's gone. Someone kept trying to get in the door. She told me to come in here. I called for her over and over, but she didn't show up."

Kyouko said nothing and just rubbed Katsu's back as his tiny hands clung to her. Then bending down she spoke to him, "I have to use my phone really quick, alright?"

He shook his head and held on even tighter.

_'I can't blame the poor boy. Who knows what he saw or heard.'_

Kyouko opted instead to get the officer who was still searching. Calling him over, she whispered, "Have you found anything?" He shook his head then Kyouko continued, "I need to get him out of here to get cleaned up and eat but we can't have him walking past the living room in its current state. I need you to go out and talk to my partner while I go to his room and get some clothes."

* * *

Kuon was just about finishing up his interview when the officer came over.

"It seems she's found the boy, sir. But she wants to make certain he doesn't see anything."

"I'm sorry to interrupt you." Mrs. Ando said, "But I couldn't help but overhear. You can bring him over here. I can't keep him for long but at least for now, he'll be somewhere familiar."

"I agree,"Kuon said. "Please give us a moment and we'll be right back." He stated, giving the woman a small smile.

Kuon walked down the hall and into the first bedroom where Kyouko was helping the boy pick out some clothes. She whispered to the boy to sit on his bed, which he did, before she walked over to him.

"How is he?" Kuon asked in a hushed voice.

"I don't think he's eaten in hours and he didn't move from where he was. He's really scared and dragging him down to a police station is the last thing we should be doing. Besides we need a relative to be able to question him."

Kuon nodded. Things were always tricky with children.

Kyouko spoke up, "Look, I'll call Kaneshiro. I don't know if Katsu knows anything, but he'll probably be more open to talking once he's cleaned up."

Kuon nodded, "I'll call him. We're pretty much done and just have to wait for the coroner to arrive."

"Should I record?" Kyouko asked.

"No don't worry about that. Hopefully we can build up enough of a case that we won't have to rely on the testimony of a traumatized child. Mrs. Ando the neighbor said he can go over there for the time being."

"That's good, at least it's someone he's seen before. I was letting him pick out some clothes but I'm not sure how to get him out the door."

"Don't worry about that, there's plenty of people here, so we'll be sure he doesn't see anything. You can go over there with him. We still have to look for her vehicle and purse."

Kyouko nodded as they parted, with her going back to the bed and Kuon going to the front. Once he got to the living room he began giving orders. Pointing to an officer, he said, "I need you to go outside and check for a black Honda Civic. It will be in the number 35 parking space but extend your search out from there. Once you're done let me know. The more information we have the better before we go and talk to the neighbors."

"I'm on it Hizuri." The man replied as he nodded and left.

"As for the rest of you, I need two of you to go search the master bedroom and see if you can find an address book or spare keys to the vehicle. If you happen to see a cell phone that would be helpful as well. As for you," he said turning to the remaining four, "My partner's found the boy and will be bringing him through to go to the neighbor's. Since the body is still here you make sure that there's no way he can see his mother like this."

They all nodded as Kuon went back to the child's room,

"I thought it would be a good idea to grab one of his favorite blankets." Kyouko said

'_Great idea.'_ Kuon thought as he spoke up, "Okay we'll be going in a few more minutes."

"Understood." Kyouko replied as she turned to the boy, "Now Katsu, we're going to be going next door to see Mrs. Ando. Would you like that?" He nodded as she smiled, "I'll be walking with you and I need you to face the direction of your front door when we walk. Do you know which way that is?"

"It's that way." He answered pointing.

"Very good!" Kyouko cheered, "I'll also need you to shut your eyes. You can do that, right?"

"Yes. I'll keep my eyes closed." Katsu replied in a stronger voice as his dark brown eyes looked up at Kyouko.

"That's just what I wanted to hear. You'll have to hold onto my hand and I'll let you know when we're there."

He nodded, grabbing her hand as his eyes closed.

Kyouko looked over to Kuon, "Okay, looks like we're ready."

* * *

Three hours later the scene was clear and the rain had finally stopped. Dark clouds still loomed though, and it was approaching seven a.m. The body of the victim was down at the morgue and they had been unable to find a vehicle, purse or cell phone.

Canvassing the rest of the area had proven bothersome with the steady rain and was ultimately unsuccessful as well. It was pretty normal for the neighbors not to pay attention. The lack of any real leads was frustrating but not unexpected since it was so early on in the investigation. Right now, they also had a more important matter to deal with.

"We can't reach any relatives right now" Kyouko said as she looked at the sleeping boy in the car seat. Mrs. Ando happened to have an extra one for her grandchildren. "Where will he go?" She asked.

"We'll have to take him to Lory's for now." Kuon said as he took out his phone and dialed.

Lory Takarada ran the orphanages and shelters in the Tokyo area. Funds for the establishments came from Lory and Maria's Endowment. Better known as LME, the familiar symbol of a shield with the letters inside provided a source of comfort to children and families alike. Lory had set this up ten years ago when his grand daughter Maria's own mother had died and her father had disappeared.

Lory was quite a personality. Always wearing flamboyant clothing, he wore a different costume every time Kuon saw him. He also enjoyed anything that involved love, considering himself to be a matchmaker. He did have a pretty successful rate of predicting marriages, though the people involved had to have some connection or underlying attraction.

"Okay, we'll drop him off first." Kuon said as he hung up his phone. "They'll be expecting us. Maria will be meeting us."

Kyouko nodded, looking at the sleeping child again. She hoped they could reach one of his family members soon. Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to the Takarada mansion. The bright yellow, Hummer stretch limo in the driveway stood out like a blazing beacon against the early morning sky.

_'Even my partner's smile can't compete with that.'_ Kyouko mused as her eyes instinctively started to close against the vehicle's intensity.

With the car parked, Kyouko went to the backseat to grab the duffel bag along with the child covered in his blanket. Kuon got the seat and his stuffed animal. They were halfway to the door when it opened. Standing at the landing was a broad man who wore clothing that covered everything but his brown eyes. Next to him stood a fair-skinned teenage girl with flowing chestnut hair.

"I'll take that Hizuri-sama." The man said as Kuon handed over the items. He reached for the bag as well before saying, "Thank you Mogami-sama."

"Thank you very much, sir." Kyouko replied, bowing her head slightly so as not to wake up the sleeping child.

"How are you Kuon-sama?" Maria asked in a voice as lively as her steps as she led them inside.

"I'm good."

With flowing brown locks that bounced slightly as she turned, she reached out her hand to Kyouko, "I'm Maria Takarada."

Kyouko smiled as she stuck out her hand, "I'm Kyouko. It's nice to meet you."

"So what's been going on?" Kuon inquired.

"Nothing much. Grandfather's been going on about you. He thinks you should be with someone." She paused, "You know how he is."

Boy did he ever.

"I'd help you out but I don't think Hiou would approve." Maria laughed as she continued, "Looks like you missed your chance, Kuon-sama."

"I don't deserve you anyway, Maria." he replied playfully, '_Or anyone for that matter. I'll keep having my fun but I can't be with anyone long term._' Kuon thought ruefully before he continued, "So, a boyfriend Maria? You're growing up so fast."

Maria nodded as she gave a smile that lit up her entire face, "Well I am sixteen. Grandfather gave him a hard time at first since he's three years older than me. Once I pointed out that was the same age difference as him and grandmother and my mom and dad, he backed off." She said with a small smile. "Besides Hiou's always helping us out whenever he can."

"It's a really great thing you guys do here." Kyouko spoke up softly, thinking of the situation with her own parents.

"We're happy to do it. My own mother died when I was five." she said as a look of sadness crossed over her hazel eyes.

_'I saw my mom for the last time when I was six.' _

Breaking into Kyouko's thoughts, Maria continued, "Luckily I had grandfather. My father came around four years later but I could have easily been in the same situation. None of these kids or families asked for this to happen."

Kyouko nodded as she looked over at the sleeping child in her arms.

"Here we are." Maria said as she hit the dimmer switch, bathing a soft glow over the room. "You can put him in any bed. We're expecting one more child in a couple of hours."

Kyouko walked into the room and looked around. There were four race car twin beds along with a black, wooden bunk bed set. The sheets on each one were all royal blue. The black carpet was so plush that even Kyouko sank into it with her shoes on. The ceiling was also completely black with small LED lights made to look like twinkling stars. It reminded Kyouko of the nights back in Kyoto. Placing the child in the bed, she put his stuffed bunny in his arms.

"Take care Katsu. I hope to be back soon." Kyouko whispered as she covered him in his blue blanket.

Once the door was closed, Kyouko handed Maria her card, "Just in case he wakes up and you have trouble calming him down."

"Thanks. I'll be sure to let you know, but he should be fine. Unfortunately, we've come across children who were in some pretty terrible situations. We don't like to take them to the orphanage right away so hopefully you'll be able to find a relative. He'll be meeting with a psychologist and a grief counselor in the next couple of days."

Kyouko nodded as they walked back to the entrance. She hoped they could find a family member too. The man that greeted them was back and opened the door.

"Good-bye Kuon-sama. It was nice meeting you, Kyouko."

"Bye, Maria." They replied, waving they walked back to the car.

* * *

The clock was approaching eight a.m. when Kyouko unlocked the door to her apartment. The rain had started again. She could barely see the lock since her face was now covered with a combination of the fat, wet drops and the tears that had been threatening for the past hour. It was always hard when a child lost a parent especially one as young as four.

Kyouko couldn't help but think about the unfairness of it all. Neither Katsu nor Maria deserved to lose their mothers so young. Although she was still new to the murder division, Kyouko realized she would have to get used to this since it probably happened often. Kyouko herself finally decided to look for her own mom when she first arrived in Tokyo. It wasn't until two years ago that she finally found her and she was no longer living.

With that, Kyouko was truly alone and even worse, still hadn't learned the full story. A part of Kyouko yearned so desperately to give her mother the benefit of the doubt, hoping against hope she was actually wanted. Now, Kyouko couldn't help but think the worst and there would never be anything or anyone to let her know any differently. Kyouko had finally accepted this. Perhaps it was better for her not to know.

In this world full of criminals the best chance for any savior came from the police themselves. Still, nights like this one reminded Kyouko that not every person could always know joy. No matter what there was always the bad with the good.

Now showered and in bed, she closed her eyes, still unable to get to sleep as her tears eyes hurt and her head was starting to pound. Rubbing her neck and her temples, Kyouko tried desperately to find a little peace in her meditation stance. Around an hour later Kyouko finally fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Once Kuon dropped Kyouko off he stopped at the convenience store to grab another quick bite before driving back home. He got there as eight thirty approached. The night had been a long one. His bed called and he planned to catch up on some sleep.

_'It would be nice if someone was waiting for me.'_ he thought with a sad smile.

The rain usually put Kuon in that sort of mood. He wanted to have someone to be close to. Going to his front door he was a little surprised to see a familiar face.

_'Even better.'_ Kuon mused with a smile.

"Kuon." The voice said.

"Emi," he replied with a smile, "I didn't expect you to be waiting. You haven't been here too long, have you?"

"Only about ten minutes. I know you're tired but I had to see you. Don't worry. We don't have to—"

Kuon shook his head, "It's okay. I've found a second wind." he remarked quickly as he looked at her. "We can sleep later."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Emi said quietly. Grabbing Kuon's arm, she smiled as she walked with him inside.


	4. Connected

**I do not own Skip Beat! or its characters.**

**Thanks to my beta reader Aeterna Knight for help with proofing this chapter.**

* * *

Kuon flipped the file on his desk closed just as Kyouko walked up.

"Good morning. Here you are." She said with a bow as she handed him a large Styrofoam cup of coffee. "Black and piping hot – just the way you like it.""

_'Perfect.'_ He reached over to take the beverage, "Thank you."

Just then someone came over and gave Kuon a note.

"It looks like the M.E. is ready for us." He said, standing up.

Kyouko nodded before glancing down at her vibrating phone. The screen displayed the words "UNKNOWN NUMBER". _'I'll have to check that when I get the chance,'_ she thought to herself as she trailed behind her partner.

Michiko Ikihara was there to greet them once Kuon opened the door to the morgue. "Good morning Hizuri-san. Mogami-san."

"Good morning Ikihara-san." They both replied, Kyouko adding a slight bow. They put on their latex gloves on their way over to the M.E.'s table.

Kyouko tried not to gape at the sight on the table. She wasn't squeamish by any means but seeing a dead body was an entirely new experience.

"As we expected, this was pretty straightforward." Ikihara began as she reached up, grabbing the magnifying viewer that hung from the ceiling. She moved it over the lacerations. "The cause of death was a stab wound that punctured the right atrium of the heart. Death occurred instantly from looking at the size of the wound. The time of death was around noon."

"What are those tiny crystals?" Kyouko asked, pointing at the monitor. "They look like salt."

"You have a good eye for little details! I'm impressed." Ikihara said, moving the viewer to the victim's mouth and nose, "That is why you don't see any defensive wounds. I don't know how the killer managed to get it into the country but just by looking at it, I can tell you it's a poison called ricin. It's found in some American pesticides. " She explained as Kuon and Kyouko both moved away from the body.

"Don't worry, it's only dangerous when inhaled, ingested or injected. Though I will have to follow protocol to collect and get it to both the CDC in the U.S. and the Ministry of Health. This is only available in America so they might be able to figure out where it came from which could help catch the killer."

The pair walked back over, looking at the white crystals under the viewer as Ikihara continued, "It looks like she inhaled it. It is a highly toxic chemical. All you need are 500 micrograms of it in order to cause death. It looks like only half that amount was used since it didn't kill her, though I can't say for certain. It would have caused severe coughing and shortness of breath right away."

"That's all the killer needed to render her defenseless." Kuon said with a grimace.

Kyouko said nothing as she imagined what little Katsu must have heard from his hiding place in the closet.

"I found something else." Ikihara said, "They were inside her mouth in the center of her tongue."

She moved the viewer back to its original position and then went to get the small evidence bags. Each contained a tiny silver charm. One had the letter "M" and the other was the letter "I."

Masuyo Imada. The charms were the victim's initials.

"That settles that." Kuon remarked quietly as he let out a sigh.

"What is it?" Kyouko asked.

"This murder is connected to Takara Okane's murder at the Peninsula Hotel. The victim was strangled in that case but there were the same two silver charms found with her body as well."

"I didn't see that in the report." Kyouko said with a frown.

"It was probably added later in another report. When we saw them we figured it was from some jewelry she owned that had been broken since they were on her shirt and the letters were also her initials." Kuon stated. "But it looks like the killer is trying to tell us something."

"Hmm." Kyouko said absently as she wondered about the letters. '_T, O, M, I. What could it be? A name? An address? A business?'_

"Right now it could be anything." Kuon's voice broke into her thoughts. "Unfortunately he's one step ahead of us and if he's trying to send a message then that means,"

"There will be more victims." Kyouko finished.

"Thanks Ikihara-san. You'll let me know if you find anything else?" Kuon asked as he took the two bags. She gave him a nod as he turned to Kyouko. "We're going to see what we can find down in evidence. I doubt the prints will get us anywhere." He said. '_The victim's cell phone could be helpful as well if we ever find it.'_

"Good bye Ikihara-san." Kyouko said with another bow as she left.

Once they were down the hall Kuon began speaking, "I have to go see Kaneshiro and tell him about this recent development. I'll meet you in evidence in fifteen minutes."

Kyouko nodded as she went back to her desk while checking her phone. It was a voicemail from a man named Fumio Adachi who owned a tamagoyaki shop in Roppongi Hills. Kyouko picked up the phone on her desk and dialed.

"Hello, this is Detective Mogami with the TPMD. I'm returning a call I received." She paused, tapping her fingers while she waited for the man to come on the line. "Good morning Adachi-san."

"Good morning Mogami-san. I was calling because I received a call from a Detective Hizuri-san."

"Yes that's my partner. I'm not at liberty to discuss the issue with you over the phone but we were hoping you could help us locate Imada-san's family."

"Yes, we know them very well. They live in Osaka. I have the address in my files."

"That would be very helpful." Kyouko said as she reached for a pen and pad. "Also if you had a phone number?"

"I do. Just hang on and I'll go get it." He replied.

Kyouko sat and waited, then started writing down the address and number a few minutes later. "Thank you so much for your help."

"No problem. I hope everything is okay. Masuyo has sacrificed a lot to provide a better life for Katsu. I have to get back to work now. Take care."

Kyouko closed her eyes as she said "Goodbye." Hanging up the phone, she stood up. '_We've got to find this person. He can't keep taking innocent lives.'_ With that she headed over to evidence to meet her partner.

* * *

Kyouko was now more cheerful as she parked her car in the driveway of the Takarada's bustling estate. The bright yellow monstrosity greeted her as she walked up to the door which opened immediately.

"Good evening Mogami-sama."

"Hello, Sebastian. How are you this evening?" She replied with a bow.

Giving her a nod, Kyouko didn't see the small smile he gave at her new name for him. He led her to the dining area, "Your tea is waiting for you."

Kyouko thanked him again and smiled as she went over to take the cup. Though she had been here often enough in the past week, Kyouko wasn't sure it had been enough to warrant this sort of welcome. Almost immediately she was greeted by Lory, who was dressed in a white leather, bell bottom suit. He had a matching red poncho, sombrero and shiny red shoes.

_'And I was concerned about the tea being too much.'_ she thought as she smiled. "Good evening, Takarada-sama." Kyouko greeted him with a bow. _'This is certainly an interesting choice of outfits.'_

"Call me Lory." He stated. "It's nice to finally meet you." He added with a smile. "So you're Kuon's new partner that I've heard so much about?"

"Yes I am. You've heard nothing bad I hope."She answered._ 'I should have known Kuon would complain to someone.'_ Kyouko thought as she took another sip from her tea.

"No nothing bad. I'm sure working with Kuon can't be easy."

"You're right. I know he doesn't like me very much, but I am learning a lot from him. That's all I care about and he's clearly good at what he does."

"Well, that's Kuon for you. Once he's involved with something, he'll over do it if he has to." Lory paused a moment before continuing, "He just doesn't like the prospect of having a partner, so don't take it personally."

_'You're not kidding.'_ Kyouko thought dryly as she gave a nod. '_I'm certain it's just me._' Putting a smile on her face she said, "I just try to stay out of his way and mostly speak only when spoken to."

"You poor dear, it has to be hard to feel like you're under a microscope every hour you're at work."

"I'll admit I'm not used to it. But I love what I do and will continue to work hard."

"I see." Said Lory as a thoughtful look passed over his face, _'I wonder if...'_ he erased the thought from his mind as he gave her a smile. "I didn't mean to take you off on this tangent Mogami-kun. It was actually Maria who I heard that from. She's quite fond of you in such a short time. I have to say I'm both impressed and relieved. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time."

"I think she's really great too. She's so responsible. It reminds me of myself at that age."

_'Really?'_ Lory thought, _'Interesting indeed.'_ Out loud he said, "I have to get back to my Love Sims. I can't stay away from them for too long. It was nice meeting you, I hope to hear more from you in the coming days, though hopefully it won't be under these circumstances." He added sadly.

_'I agree.'_ Kyouko mused as she thought about Katsu. "It's really nice that you guys are here for them." Kyouko remarked, referring to the shelter and other orphans. "Coming from a person who had no parents growing up, I know they are truly grateful." Kyouko said, thinking of the Taisho and Okami.

Lory nodded, "Still I wish I could do more." He said as his face clouded. "Maria will be here with Katsu shortly. He's just finishing up with the grief counselor."

Kyouko nodded and stood, giving him another bow as he left. Five minutes later, Maria arrived holding Katsu's hand while his other still clutched his white bunny.

"How is he? Has he said anything?"

"She says he's still in a bit of shock but we did find out some information." Maria said pulling out a written map, "He gave us landmarks so we know the place that the friends in Roppongi Hills own."

"That's great! Actually I talked to them and his family is on the way. Unfortunately it's hard for them to find a way to get here but they said to expect them in another week." Kyouko replied. Bending down she looked at the four year old. "Hi, Katsu." He didn't say anything as he waved. Kyouko's heart dropped. Reaching out to give the boy a hug, she asked, "What do you want to do today?"

After an extended pause he finally answered,"I want to race cars. Ooh and then can we draw?" He asked excitedly.

"That sounds good." Maria said with a smile to Kyouko.

Kyouko smiled back. Putting a hand on his back they left to go to Katsu's temporary room.

They had been playing for an hour when the boy stopped what he was doing and looked up at Kyouko.

"What is it, Katsu?" She enquired gently.

"I'm hungry."

"That's really great." Maria chimed in happily. "He hasn't really been eating."

"What do you want to eat?" Maria asked him.

"I want soup."

"It just so happens I know a great recipe." Kyouko said as she stood up.

"Don't worry, the kitchen is stocked with whatever you need." Maria said quickly. "You never know when Grandfather decides to have one of his impromptu dinner parties." She added.

"I can imagine." Kyouko said as she remembered the outfit he had on when she saw him earlier. He could be quite spontaneous

"Katsu, do you want to draw in the kitchen while I make you some soup. If you want, you can even help me get some of the ingredients together."

He nodded, jumping up. "I don't want to draw anymore. I'll watch you." He said, placing his small hand in Kyouko's.

They all went into the kitchen and thirty minutes later, they each had a steaming bowl of miso soup in front of them.

"Go ahead, try some Katsu." Kyouko prodded when it had cooled down enough.

"This is really good!" He exclaimed after several spoonfuls.

"I'm glad you like it." Kyouko replied with a smile on her face, "I'm happy to cook it for you when I come see you."

He nodded quickly as he continued eating. Ten minutes later, his bowl was empty and he was asking for another helping. Kyouko felt the sting of tears again as she watched him smile for the first time since she had found him hiding in the dark.

* * *

Three hours later, Kyouko unlocked the door to her apartment on the third floor. Turning on a light, she threw her bag down on the counter as she pulled out the leftovers from the refrigerator. Heating them on the stove she sat down and ate in silence, her thoughts veering in many directions. Katsu's timid smile and wave as he said goodbye were still fresh on the young woman's mind.

Next her mind went to work. They had found nothing useful after looking at all of the evidence on file for nearly two hours. The charms also stuck in Kyouko's head. She was ten seconds away from hopping on the internet to look up names and businesses, but realized with only four letters it was a fruitless search.

As much as she wanted to prevent another murder from occurring, it looked like no matter what they did it was going to happen. This is what hit Kyouko hardest. She didn't want to think of anymore innocent victims or their families trying to put together the pieces and move on. The tone from her phone broke into her thoughts. Looking down at her phone Kyouko smiled. Mouko.

**_"We're still on for Friday, right?"_**

'_Barring another stakeout, yes.'_ Kyouko thought as she replied to the message. These past couple of weeks had been stressful and Kyouko looked forward to spending time with Mouko and Chiori.

Kyouko took a shower and went to bed feeling the best she had ever felt in recent weeks.

* * *

The two men, unknown to each other, chose to meet in the corner booth of a family restaurant. The two barely looked at each other as they took a seat.

Waving off the waitress, the taller man spoke up first, "Before we go any further I need to know that you are absolutely 100 percent positive you want to do this." He said looking into the brown eyes of the other man. "I need to make sure that you're serious about this."

The shorter man sitting across from him nodded, "I've been preparing for this for the past three years."

"I have a couple of connections I can get you in touch with. They should be able to help you out with what you need to take care of your task."

The shorter man's brown eyes danced happily. "I'm so glad to hear you say that!"

"In our line of business we care more about how it will benefit us in the long run."

"Don't worry. Money isn't an object either." the shorter man paused before he continued, "When do we start?"

"Slow down." Came the first man's quick reply, "We haven't even started yet. There's still a couple of channels we have to go through and I'll have to run this by them to see if it's worth undertaking. I've got your number so I'll keep in touch and let you know when both of them have returned. They're currently taking care of some business out of the country. We'll set up the next meeting then."

"Thank you so much! I promise I'll make it worth your while."

"That's not the issue. I never take on anything that's a waste of my time or money."

"So when can I expect to hear from you?"

"I'd say in about two weeks. Until next time,"

"Looks that way."

The two shook hands for the first time before the taller man exited the booth and went out into the cold Tokyo night. It was then that the waitress came over.

"What will you be having this evening?" She asked with a bow.

"I'll take a teriyaki plate and some sake." The man replied, now in a much better mood.

* * *

The clock read 8:15 as Kyouko walked into the semi-crowded Tender Bar. This was a spot that was little known in Tokyo. That meant they didn't have to deal with large crowds or watered down drinks. Smoothing out her purple dress, Kyouko ran another hand through her hair, checking out her makeup in the cab window one last time before venturing inside.

"We'll be done around midnight." She said to the driver as he smiled and waved. '_No sense driving under the influence, even if it's only a drink or two.'_ she thought as she opened the door to the bar.

"Mou! There you are!" Came the voice of her friend.

"Mouko!" Kyouko exclaimed going to meet Kanae with a hug. "Where's Chiori?"

"She's on her way. I thought I had a heavy workload yet here I am, having to sit all alone for half an hour."

"Well to be fair, electronic surveillance is quite a task. I imagine dealing with the yakuza alone would provide plenty of time and trouble." Kyouko replied while taking a seat.

"Here's your usual." said the bartender as he handed Kyouko her Tender Ten, the bar's signature drink.

"Thank you Araki-san." Kyouko said, taking her glass.

"I've told you over and over to call me Kenta, Kyouko."

"Kenta." She stated shyly, trying not to blush at the way he said her name.

Turning back to Mouko she cringed at the look on the woman's face.

"Just say it, Mouko."

"You already know he's interested. And by the way you're acting, so are you."

"He seems nice, but I don't trust myself at all when it comes to men."

"I didn't say you needed to be in love with him. It's been four years Kyouko. I don't know how you can do it."

"Actually it's really easy now." She said. "And I'd like to keep things as uncomplicated and simple as possible. It's been this long already and I don't want to mess things up. If Akio and Shou taught me anything it's how much of a fool I become when love, sex or anything else having to do with that emotion is involved."

"I hear you." Mouko said, "I have to say I envy your perseverance."

Kyouko sighed as she put the straw to her lips, savoring the sweet, yet tangy mixture. Even at her young age Kyouko seriously doubted she would ever find anyone willing to deal with her or the life she led as an officer of the TMPD. Her best chance was probably with another officer, but there was nobody even remotely interested in her and there likely wouldn't be in the near future.

At one time, Kyouko believed in a happily ever after and that a man much like her fairy prince would come and save her. Now, if the debacle with Akio had taught her anything, it was that love was the prelude to disaster and despair. She was responsible for her own decisions and her own happiness. That happiness did not need to come from falling in love or from being with someone.

"It's not like I've completely given up hope. One day the right man could come along." Kyouko said.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Kanae asked pointedly. "Speaking of the right man, how are things going with Japan's number one detective?"

Kyouko groaned, "I was trying to enjoy a nice evening out and you have to go and mention him. Thanks Mouko."

"That bad, huh?"

"Pretty much. It was even worse at first. At least now he says more than two words to me. I think that's because he has to." Kyouko finished with another sigh.

For once she wished she could stop being so helpful and giving. She made sure to bring him coffee each morning because she happened to be there getting tea for herself. She'd done it on a whim and ever since he actually thanked her she kept doing it.

"I've arrived." Chiori's cheerful voice cut into her thoughts.

Both Kanae and Kyouko got up to give the woman a hug as Kenta appeared with a third drink, flashing Kyouko a smile that showed off his perfect teeth and lit up his handsome face before he went back to the other end of the bar. Kyouko turned away quickly. The quicker she got out of the line of fire the better.

"Man I wish I could get a guy like that to look at me that way." Chiori said as she plopped down in her seat, "Such a waste with you, Kyouko. Are you sure you don't want to end your vow of celibacy for just one night? I know I would if I were in your shoes. No one would blame you, we'd understand completely." Chiori stated as she took a sip of her drink.

"I'm sure." Kyouko retorted as Kanae flashed her a look.

"What can I say, it's your life." she finished as Chiori nodded.

"You're a better woman than me." Chiori said.

"That's why we're friends." Kyouko remarked, "Somebody has to keep you guys in line."

"It's not like I have anything special happening anyway." Kanae stated, "I'm hitting the four month mark and for the life of me, I don't know how you lasted."

"The first year is always the hardest." Said Chiori quickly as Kyouko nodded.

The three women clinked glasses. "To happily ever after, whatever that is." They said together, stating their usual mantra before taking another sip of their drinks.

* * *

"I don't want to leave."

"I wish you didn't have to go either." Kuon replied as Emi reached her hand around the back of his neck and brought him down into a hungry kiss. "You better go or you'll be late." He said as she pulled away.

"One more month and I'll be out of my first year and I won't have to work graveyard." She remarked as she grabbed his hand. "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"I'll be here." He responded as he watched her walk off before he shut the door.

Placing his hand on the watch, Kuon went to loosen it, placing it inside his pocket before he reached into the cabinet. Tonight he was in the mood for some rum: not the light rum, tonight it was going to be the over proofed kind. Grabbing a can of Coke he poured a small amount before setting the can down. Picking up the bottle, he filled up the rest of the glass.

Taking both the glass and the bottle he went into his room, putting both items on the nightstand before reaching back into his pocket. He looked at the watch as he sat back against the headboard and took a sip from the glass. He focused his eyes on the time as the alcohol burned its way into his system. The recent cases were throwing him for a loop. Even though he wasn't going to actually be responsible for a murder this time, it still felt the same.

The inability to figure out the killer or even to figure out a pattern was going to lead to another victim. Kuon was more sure of that than anything. It wasn't a matter of if but a matter of when. He would feel the same responsibility for being unable to prevent it. Kuon's eyes bore into the watch as he took another sip, willing the answer to come. As usual there were none.

Why did Rick decide to follow me that day? Why is this person killing defenseless women? Why didn't Rick just stay behind with his girlfriend? How did this person get ricin into Japan? Kuon decided to stop asking himself questions he couldn't answer and concentrate on the one thing that he could do. He looked off into the darkness as he lifted up the bottle and took another drink of the burning liquid.

'_No matter what I will figure this out. I can't control your actions but make no mistake I will find you and make sure that you pay the price for them.'_

* * *

Monday morning had returned and Kyouko had just walked in the door. This morning she planned to look over the Peninsula Hotel file before going on to the new case. '_It won't hurt to take a look at the nightclub murders either.'_ She placed Kuon's coffee down at his desk before settling into her seat. Opening the brown file folder, she looked at the picture of the first victim.

She was a lovely, tall brown-haired woman. Completely different from the medium-length black hair of the shorter second victim. Also Takara Okane was a guest at the hotel while Masuyo Imada worked there as a housekeeper. Was the hotel the connection? If so, then how? Was the killer a tourist who liked to frequent the establishment? Did he work there? Kyouko closed her eyes. She wasn't getting anywhere. She looked at the picture again. The only thing the victims had in common was that they were women.

Kuon came out from the lockers, giving Kyouko an imperceptible nod before he got ready to take his seat. He was just about to sit down but before he could grab the back of his chair to pull it out, Kaneshiro entered. To say that he didn't look pleased was an understatement. His face stood out in a brilliant red against the slight graying of his balding hair. Kyouko could almost see the smoke coming out of his ears.

"Hizuri! Mogami! My office..._now_!" he growled before stomping off.

* * *

Thanks so much for:

**Reviews**:ecchri, VKLOREO23, Socat13, animemanga luvr, FeatheredPhoenix, KuroiRyoko, kaitlynchosenisme, LBeth2007, Silent Uke Fuu, NamesCat, daredevil girl, CrystallineX and Guest

**Faves**: FeatheredPhoenix, Goldenwolfhowl, Ilovedarkpasts, KuroiRyoko,Socat13, TessaJane, kimdras, pandacrzy and winterstar3000

**Follows**: Allerya-Sama, Cephira, CrystallineX, Ducki9, Evil-Kitty-Kat-666, Himeru, I Am Truly Asian, Ilovedarkpasts, Insena, KuroiRyoko, LittleLiar666, NanamiTsukyhime, Otaku12367, Rycans, Sa-chan0702, Silent-Angel22, Socat13, TheSingingHoneyBee, WinterPrentice, crayontesla, g0tHiChlk, irihi sunset24, kaitlynchosenisme, kimdras, kirabook, kuro ace, peykar, psycobookcollector, veronca55, veronika sokyova and yaoirulz especially sasUKE

Also thanks to you silent readers. I hope you all enjoy the new additions to my plot!


	5. Prey

**I do not own Skip Beat! or its characters.**

******Thanks for your reviews and follows!**

* * *

Kyouko's breathing became slightly erratic as she walked behind Kuon to CS Kaneshiro's office.

"Shut the door behind you." Kaneshiro snapped.

Kyouko quickly complied and then turned to face him.

"We have a serious problem." He stated, looking over the papers in front of him and then looked up. "Take a seat Mogami."

Seeing that Kuon had already occupied a chair, Kyouko sat down in the other one.

"Sorry for the greeting out there, but at this point you two are the only ones I'm entirely sure about. I had to make it look good." The exasperated man began as he slammed the papers down on the desk. Sitting back in his seat, he sighed deep and long. "Now what I'm about to say absolutely cannot leave this room."

Kyouko's nerves were replaced by curiosity as she leaned forward in her seat.

"Apparently the big purge of last year wasn't as successful as we'd like to believe." He said somberly, running a hand through his hair.

"You're kidding, right?" Kuon asked bitterly. "That's why we're so understaffed now and after all that..."

"The yakuza have been moving even harder and faster. It's not just the number of officers but also who they are. We all know that this is a thankless job at times. The major players recognize that fact and have exploited it."

Kyouko sat still, processing what she was hearing.

"What's worse?" Kaneshiro continued, "Is that it's spread out across all nine divisions of the CIB. Obviously it's the worst in the top four."

"Murder, robberies, prostitution, controlled substances, blackmail and kidnapping. Makes sense when it comes to the yakuza." Kuon remarked.

"Yes the intel we have is that there are no less than four compromised officers in each of the top divisions with the same or less in the other five."

"My goodness." Kyouko replied doing the math in her head. '_There are usually two to four officers on every case. Then we usually have at least five open cases at any time and with 24 detectives...'_

Kaneshiro nodded, his voice cutting into her thoughts "So you see the problem. There are four officers under my watch who aren't taking their jobs seriously or are covering up evidence."

"So what's the plan?" Kuon asked.

"Right now we're working on setting up a joint operation across all CIB divisions. Ultimately the task will be carried out with the first, third and fourth divisions. Basically, we're trying to catch them in the act. We just need to know who to target." He said quietly. "I can't give too much information right now since it's still not quite at the halfway point." he finished.

'_This sounds bad.'_ Kyouko thought with a frown.

"I can't say it will be easy." Kaneshiro stated. "Most of these operations aren't but we'll be sure to take every precaution to get the information we need and to prevent injury or loss of life. We certainly don't have the luxury of losing anymore officers." He remarked, taking a sip from his mug before he continued, "Usually the way to kill a snake is to take off its head but now we're working from too far behind. Instead, we've got to get into their businesses and find something, anything to hang them on."

"That actually sounds like the best idea." Kuon said. "That way they will never see anything coming since they don't expect anything from their customers. As long as you plan for everything it just might work." He said with a nod, "So who do you plan to bring in?"

"I sure hope you're right Hizuri. Both the Commissioner and Superintendent Generals are counting on it. To answer your question, they're familiar with the old timers so it's probably best to bring in first and second years. Saying that," Kaneshiro noted warily, "They are also the easiest ones to compromise so I'd imagine it will be a mix of both new and seasoned officers. We have no choice but to figure it out."

Kuon and Kyouko sat silently as Kaneshiro looked again at his paper and sighed.

"That's all for now. In the meantime you guys are to talk to nobody but each other about the _Shion_ case. There could be someone on their payroll down in evidence as well. Keep your eyes open and watch what you say and who you talk to. I'll keep you both updated as things come together."

Kuon and Kyouko stood up, getting ready to leave.

"Oh and Mogami?"

Kyouko's stomach dropped as she turned around, "Yes Kaneshiro-sama."

"I'm afraid you'll have to go back downstairs and talk to the PTB."

Kyouko's heart rate increased slightly as she asked, "What for, sir?"

"It seems they'd like to get a little more background information about you and certain," He paused as he looked at her, "Relationships."

"For what?" Kyouko asked incredulously though she had a guess.

"I'm not sure but just tell them everything you know. From what I can tell you were trying to get out from under this whole thing before your suspension." Kaneshiro said firmly. "That new information should make you look better. They're actually doing this with most of the second years." Kaneshiro added with a grim smile, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I know it feels like you've practically lived in the PTB as of late."

Kyouko nodded, now at a loss for words as she went out the door. Her heart pounded again and her mouth went dry as she felt an increasing sense of dread. Walking straight to the elevator, Kyouko quickly smashed the button before clenching both fists. Getting inside, she missed the sad, troubled look that flickered across her partner's face for a fleeting moment.

* * *

A creaking wheel on the silver cart was the only sound that could be heard in the empty hallway. A gleam came into the man's eyes as he pushed the button on the elevator.

Upon entering, he placed a large, calloused hand on top of the polyester pocket, patting it twice. The two silver charms inside of it burned, mirroring the growing urge igniting within him. He pushed the button for the 30th floor, leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

This was the most important part of the ritual. It was also what he enjoyed the most.

The scene had to be fully setup in his mind. There were only two kinds of room layouts on this floor. The image of each one was now fully ingrained in his brain. Continuing his mental calculations he calculated the amount of space between the door and the bed, and then between the door and the bathroom entryway.

Next he took into account her height and weight. Then, using those same height and weight proportions, he figured out how much space he would need once he was done, taking into account how she would be placed.

The ding of the elevator brought him back. Checking the crisp, black sheet that covered the cart he made sure there were no wrinkles. It had to be perfect, so that when it was time to dispose of the body the sheet would move with ease.

He gave a small, cold laugh as he imagined himself already over the body. He thought of the slight resistance he encountered with freshly torn flesh, the sudden jolt that only happened when he ran into hard bone or even the...he stopped himself. While it was also necessary to calculate every move of the main event, jumping the gun as he was currently doing would mean nothing but trouble.

'_Have a little patience. You've been at this for awhile. Just remember above everything, that bitch has to pay! She's no different than any of the others.'_ he thought as he clenched his right hand around the cart handle.

The cold steel was soothing. Deliberately, the 180 centimeter man made his way down the hall, taking note of how the cart moved along the lightly carpeted red floor. It was crucial to do this in order to calculate how much heavier the load would be on the way out.

_'Soon she will be joining the others. Three down and one to go. That is until I resume the chase.'_

That was one thing about his urges. They always came and went. In the beginning, he had been satisfied with just one. Now that number had ballooned up to four. After that he usually had to have a cooling down period. It was during this time that he worked out who his remaining victims would be. It was an elite few who made the cut and certain factors needed to be taken into account.

Another smile formed on his lips. Getting to the list had been ridiculously easy. Casting that thought aside the job needed to be finished. The perfect victim with the perfect initials had to be carefully selected. Getting the message out was of the utmost importance. At the moment, he was halfway through.

_'No matter how nice she seems to be, I cannot forget it's all just an act. In reality, she hates me just like the rest of them did. Just like **her**. For that reason, she must die.'_

They were women so they started out the same. Oh sure, they were friendly enough but before long they would change, becoming cold and distant. Exactly like that awful woman**_. _**It was okay though because by then, he was always more than ready. Even through their incessant blubbering as they lay there begging for their pitiful lives, there was always that hint of kindness in their voice.

Too bad. There was no way in hell he'd fall for that act again. Instead he gave them a false sense of security, which lured them in and then? BAM! It was over. For them anyway. After waiting for so many years, he could finally say he had won.

He had no control over the many beatings he endured at that useless tramp's hands. Now? All of the power was his. _She_ had been the first one to see it. With surer steps he moved the cleaning cart aside and pushed his own inside the open door.

"Oh good!" the woman said, "I didn't have a place to put..." Her voice stopped and her pulse quickened at the sound of the closing door.

* * *

Six days, ten hours and thirty minutes. The day the meeting would finally take place.

The slim man of medium height walked into his spare room, taking in all of the pictures.

"I've been gathering this information for three years, so another week is nothing." He said to himself.

Still, lately he'd found it necessary to repeat this phrase over and over. His limit had been reached one week ago. Realizing he needed help, he'd called for reinforcements. More men were needed as well as a high tech weapon. If it was equipped with a laser it would be perfect. They should be able to provide it given his deep pockets and how easy the target was.

The tone of his phone sounded: an email. Looking down at the phone, he saw it was from his father, wanting to know how he was doing. He quickly typed a reply that said, **_"The project is going fine."_**

Dealing with his parents was a minor annoyance but a necessary one for the money that they now generously gave him. It hadn't always been this way, in fact he was pretty down on his luck a mere four years ago. Placing the phone on the dresser, he walked over to the pictures. His dark brown eyes took in the woman featured so prominently.

Her face was simply beautiful. Those golden eyes were always so full of life every time he saw them. He even had some photos of her sleeping. She always looked so peaceful, even if she spent the better part of some nights tossing and turning. His most enjoyable times were the ones where he spent hours watching his beloved in slumber.

The months he'd spent with her were some of the best of his life. Then that stupid wife of his came along. She was so bothersome that he had to get away. She was totally different, even though he was into himself too much to realize it. Once he'd officially divorced that stupid nag he was left with nothing. He tried to initiate communication again but she wanted nothing to do with him.

He wanted so desperately to show her that he was a changed man. Not being with her was what had done it. He planned to apologize and show her. As the days turned into months his remorse slowly changed to anger. How dare she leave him. Didn't she know who he was? His focus went back to the pictures. Some of them were of her and her partner.

"We'll see how much you can protect her when I'm done." He said with a sneer.

Grabbing the large black marker, he placed a large X over the tall man before looking at her once again. Then, walking over to a different picture, he gently ran a hand along her cheek as he closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry it's come to this my love, but if I can't have you then no one ever will."

Akio Nakahara looked down at his watch. Six days and ten hours.

* * *

_'I feel invigorated!_' Was his first thought as he finished picking up the large plastic garbage bags.

Going outside, he shoved them into the bottom of the 30 gallon trash can on the cleaning cart, before taking two bottles and some towels. Taking the spray, the vile stench of ammonia and bleach invaded his nostrils, a stark contrast to the delightful, coppery aroma he craved so much.

Once everything had been scrubbed to his satisfaction, he washed his hands for a third time in the sink. It had to be four, everytime. Two times right after, after cleanup and once more when he was done.

Looking at the cart, the body fit perfectly underneath the sheet. It was now safe inside of the large garment bag to avoid any spilling, placed on its side and bent at the waist. Taking one last look at the empty, clean hotel room, he sniffed, not a trace of anything but chemicals. Whistling an old tune, he moved as quickly as he could to the elevator.

He had to be careful; it would be bad to disturb the essential and precious cargo. Getting to the elevator the door was already open. That's when he noticed he had company. A mother and daughter. His steely eyes quickly sized them up. One never could have too many victims. But alas, she didn't fit the criteria.

_'No matter. I've had my fill of the hunt. For now anyway.'_ He thought as he gave the pair a smile, "Good afternoon!" He greeted them cheerfully.

"Good afternoon." The woman replied, took a look at her paper and then asked, "Excuse me, do you happen to know what floor the restaurant is on?"

"Of course! It's on the sixth floor." He replied quickly, "Don't worry, I've got it." He said again as she reached her hand out.

He pushed the button marked six before pushing the one that said P1. His final destination would be the parking garage.

"Thank you so much. You were so nice and helpful." The woman said as they got off.

"It was my pleasure. Enjoy your stay at the Peninsula." he replied giving another smile and a wave as the doors closed.

Now safely off of the elevator, the cart creaked loudly now due to the added weight in addition to the hard concrete beneath it.

_'Just a little more.'_ He thought happily as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

This was always the biggest thrill of all. Would someone also be leaving? The thought of being caught in the act was enough to keep his adrenaline pumping. Looking around, he heard movement on the other side of the parking garage and the beep of the gate which signaled that a car would be entering. If he moved quick enough it wouldn't be a problem.

"There!" He said as he reached the white, two-door Nissan.

Using his well-honed instincts and his strength, he had the body out of the bag and next to the car in minutes. Next he reached inside his pocket, fingering the two letters before he placed them between her closed lips. Finally he pulled out his small scissors. Reaching over, he cut off a lock of hair, a ritual he enjoyed himself as a boy, to keep as a souvenir.

Taking the empty bag, he placed it on top of the cart and wheeled it back toward the elevators just as he heard a car door slam off in the distance. Getting on the elevator, he stopped off at laundry, placing the bag in the large dumpster meant for hotel linen that could no longer be used. Leaving the cart behind, the tune came back to him as he whistled again. Getting back on the elevator, he pressed the button to the fourth floor.

"Until next time." He said to himself, running his fingers through his light brown hair. Smoothing out his burgundy uniform he got off of the elevator and went to finish his shift.

_'I've left another one for you bumbling idiots right here in plain sight. Good luck with finding the other, though I made that easy enough too. Four down, four to go.'_ was his last thought before he went to the sink to wash his hands.

* * *

"Hey Kuon! It seems like it's been so long since I've seen you." Yashiro said, patting him on the shoulder.

"You're right Yashiro." Kuon replied with a genuine smile.

"I'm just glad you could make it." He said taking a seat. "I already ordered us mineral water and our food."

"Thanks. Has Lory made it yet?"

Yashiro shook his head. "I'm sure he's just getting one of those outfits together. He'll be here."

"So you were able to get a break today?" Kuon asked.

"Barely. I nearly didn't make it. The suspect's family was getting out of hand in the courtroom, so five of them got hauled into jail. They were trying to make me wait to get the paperwork." he paused as the waitress brought over their drinks. Placing down the tall, slim glasses with a lemon slice, she smiled. Her eyes lingered a bit on Kuon before she walked away. "She was nice." Yashiro added quickly.

"I don't even know her." Kuon remarked as he picked up his drink.

"That never stopped you before."

"You're right. I guess I just don't have the time to juggle multiple women at the moment."

"Who are you?" Yashiro asked incredulously as he looked at his friend.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to the idea." He said and paused, "I'll have to wait and see, I guess." Kuon replied looking off in the direction of the shapely woman before taking a sip of his drink.

"I've arrived." Came Lory's voice from behind them.

Turning around, both Kuon and Yashiro stifled a groan and a laugh at what he was wearing. Today he had on a shiny, silver tuxedo with a black cape worn over it. His large-brimmed black hat had a bunch of black and silver beads that matched ones he wore around his neck.

"How are you Lory?" Kuon asked as Lory sat down.

"I'm great my boy. Better than great!" He replied, waving a hand in the air.

A man materialized with a bottle of Perrier before Lory could put his hand down.

"So what did you guys order?" Lory inquired as he looked over the menu.

"I got grilled chicken and vegetables and you know Kuon, he got his usual." Yashiro replied.

"How do you maintain that body of yours with eating so little? I can't figure that out." Lory said more to himself as he took a sip, "You know you should have your new partner cook for you. Maria told me she cooks up a great miso soup."

"That goes perfect with that onigiri you love." Chimed in Yashiro, "I bet if you asked, she'd cook that for you too."

Kuon sighed, "I was under the impression that I was meeting you guys for lunch." Kuon said as all of their food orders arrived. "Right now you sound like yakuza trying to broker a marriage scam." He paused taking another sip of his drink, "Besides it's not like I enjoy having her around." He stopped again, swallowing a spoonful of soup before he continued, "In fact it's quite the opposite. Though I'll be the first to admit I feel like she's getting a raw deal with all that's going on at work right now. I haven't been to the PTB that many times in my whole career." He finished as he pushed his chair out. "I'll be back."

Once he was out of earshot, Yashiro leaned over,

"So? What's that finely tuned love sense of yours telling you?"

"Don't get too excited Yashiro." Lory replied, grabbing a forkful of pasta, "At the moment, nothing at all. With that said I have a feeling that will change and it will happen when we least expect it."

"He does have his..." Yashiro began but Lory cut him off.

"I don't know about that man sometimes." He said with a frown, "I'm not sure what he sees in that woman but she's definitely not the right one. He needs someone who's loyal and strong." He started, "Someone who's full of life and enthusiasm and cares about others besides the people she calls her friends."

Yashiro nodded as Kuon took a seat,

"It never takes long with you two, does it?" He asked, barely hiding his irritation as he sat back down to his bowl. _'I know they mean well and I should get used to this, but sometimes I wish they wouldn't meddle in my personal affairs so much.'_

"I know you're annoyed." Lory began, "But I just don't understand what you see in her. She seems nice but..."

"Do you really want to know?" Kuon asked as they nodded, "She keeps my mind off of everything that's going on. But not so much that I forget." He reflected, eating some more soup before he continued, "I'm a man so I'm certainly not going to turn her down when she goes out of her way to come see me."

"Always the playboy." Yashiro chimed in. "I get it but don't you think you might be giving her the wrong idea? Even I'm used to you going between more than one woman and not sticking with just one."

"I told her how everything would be from the start. She should have no expectations when it comes to me."

"You foolish man! You should know more than anyone that she's a woman. Most of them can't help but to begin to harbor feelings. That leads to a bigger connection on their end." Lory scoffed before taking a sip of his drink, "As I was trying to say before, believe me when I say there's going to be trouble."

Kuon frowned again as he continued eating. Lory, on the other hand, still had more to say,

"A relationship of that sort should be more equal. She hasn't even made it through her first year yet. If she does anything stupid, you have much more to lose. So make sure you have a plan to distance yourself." he said, as he took another bite of pasta. Once he was done eating, he continued, "Honestly, she must be some kind of masochist to put so much time and effort into something that is going nowhere. The only problem is she thinks that it is." Lory said turning to Kuon, "Knowing how inept you can be when it comes to these things, I'm sure you've done or said something to make her keep thinking exactly that."

"Lory are you suggesting...?"Kuon began tersely.

"I know, I know." Lory said waving his white napkin in surrender, "Still, if I've taught you anything it's that you should always go for the sure thing. And that woman," He paused, not even wanting to say her name, "Most certainly isn't. I just want what's best for you as any second father would. I can see your skeptical look but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Okay." Was all Kuon could manage as he took another bite of his onigiri.

"Thanks for lunch, but I better be getting back." Yashiro said as he stood up. "Take care and I'll talk to you both later."

"Bye." They both replied.

Just then, Kuon's phone sounded. Looking at the message he looked up grimly,

"Looks like I'll have to cut this short." he said pulling out some yen and putting it down on the table, "They've found a body. It might be connected to two others we're already working."

"Take care, son!" Came Lory's reply.

Kuon gave him a nod and a wave as he dialed on his phone, "Kyouko? Yeah, it's me. Don't wait up, I'll meet you at the scene."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading. I've introduced a slightly major and minor plot point. What could that lead to I wonder? I also wanted to allay your fears concerning the other woman.


	6. Gone

**Thanks so much for reviews, faves and follows. Names at the end.**

**I do not own Skip Beat! or its characters.**

* * *

Kyouko pulled into the Takarada driveway. She usually stayed at her desk for lunch but right now there were way too many sick people at the precinct. Getting out in the fresh air and away from the germs would do her some good. She'd also just learned Katsu's grandparents had finally arrived to take him back so she wanted to try to get in what little time she could.

"Good afternoon Sebastian." Kyouko greeted him with a bow. "I wanted to see Katsu before he was off to Osaka."

"Please come with me, Mogami-sama."

Sebastian led her into the sitting room where Maria, and Katsu were. There was also an older couple. The woman set her tea down as she stood up to give Kyouko a hug as soon as she crossed the threshold.

"This is Masato and Yuko Imada." Maria said, bowing slightly toward them before she continued, "This is Kyouko Mogami."

"I'm so glad to finally meet you!" The woman exclaimed, gripping Kyouko tightly as a few stray tears fell from her eyes. "You've been so great with Katsu and I hear you're hard at work trying to bring my daughter's killer to justice." She finished as she smoothed out her graying bun.

"I'm so sorry for showing up late."Kyouko replied with a bow when the small woman released her. "I could only leave during my lunch break."

"Come in, have some tea with us." Maria said as Sebastian handed her a cup.

"Thank you." Kyouko replied sitting down next to Maria who gave her a smile.

Kyouko wrapped an arm around the young woman's shoulders in response just as Katsu spoke up,

"Grandma, grandpa, Kyouko-san makes miso soup that's almost as good as yours!" he said excitedly.

"Well given that I have quite a headstart on Kyouko, I have to say that's pretty impressive." Yuko said as she turned back to Kyouko. "Have you been cooking long?"

"Thank you. I always had to cook for myself." Kyouko responded with a blush, "I started experimenting eventually to see what worked best together."

"Katsu is a picky eater so that means he really enjoyed it." She said with a wink.

"I'm really happy to hear that." Kyouko remarked.

"They're going to be leaving back to Osaka in a couple of hours." Maria chimed in.

"Yes, we just have to get a few things from Masuyo's apartment,stop in Roppongi to see Fumio and we'll be on our way."

"He's welcome to stay here while you guys do that." Maria said.

"That would be most helpful." Masato said, "It's great that there's a place like this available for when..." he broke off.

"It was all my grandfather's idea." Maria jumped in, "I'm sorry he couldn't be here but I'm afraid his schedule for today has been planned for a while. We're glad to be here. I know many people who have experienced the system firsthand so it's good the kids can avoid it when they have family."

"It's quite alright. Nobody ever expects something like this to happen so it's pretty hard to plan around it." Yuko said as she reached for her husband's arm and started to stand up, "We'll be sure to give him something for his kindness."

"That's not necessary." Maria said quickly, "In fact he'll be offended if you do so."

Yuko smiled then, "I understand. I think I would be as well. We'll send him a card or make a donation instead."

"We better be going now, so we can get back." Masato remarked as he put an arm around his wife.

"It was so nice to meet you both. I'll have to go back to work soon so I wish you safe travels as you guys go back to Osaka." Kyouko stated quietly with a bow. "I'm also sorry for your loss."

"Thank you. You've made things with Katsu so much easier for us." Masato said as they followed Sebastian out.

Another housekeeper came in to clean up the tea as Maria and Kyouko turned to Katsu.

"So what do you want to do for today? I have about twenty minutes left." Kyouko asked the boy as she checked her watch.

"I want to go outside." He responded.

"We've been looking at the koi pond." Maria offered as an explanation.

"Mommy used to let me see them." Katsu said proudly. "She said they meant good fortune or luck."

_'They're also connected with perseverance in adversity.'_ Kyouko told herself somberly as she thought about exactly how much "luck" Katsu had been experiencing lately.

"You're right Katsu." Maria said out loud.

"Now that your family's here, I hope that you see nothing but good fortune and luck from now on." Kyouko added with a smile as he looked up at her.

Taking her hand, the boy led her outside. They had been watching the fish sit at the bottom of the pond for ten minutes when Kyouko's phone sounded and then rang. Walking a bit closer to the window she answered,

"Hello?"

"Kyouko? Yeah it's me. Don't wait up, I'll meet you at the scene." came Kuon's voice over the line.

"Okay." She replied as she heard him clear his throat over the line. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." He answered and then paused. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Bye." Kyouko said quickly as she walked back to the two.

"Well guys, looks like I have to get back." Kyouko said almost sadly. Bending down, she gave the little boy a hug. "Take care Katsu. I had a lot of fun with you."

"Can I call you?" He asked as she stood up.

"If your grandparents say it's okay, I don't mind at all. I'd like to know what's going on with you."

"Okay." He replied giving a huge smile and a wave as Sebastian materialized at the now open window.

"Bye." Kyouko returned his wave for the last time willing her tears not to come. "I'll talk to you soon Maria."

"I look forward to it Onee-sama."

Kyouko finally allowed a single one to fall as she was led to the front door of the Takarada mansion.

* * *

Kyouko pulled up at the same time as her partner. Looking up at the gray clouds forming overhead, she checked to make sure she had her rain jacket before she got out and ran to the yellow tape.

"So what's it looking like?" Kuon asked as the crime scene investigator came over.

"We have a carpet in the middle of nowhere. The caller saw the hands and made the call." The trim man replied, pointing to the top of the rug as he pulled a pen from behind his ear. "The woman is over there." He said pointing a finger at the woman by a police cruiser. "Right now, we're waiting on the van to come get the body. Ikihara-san just got back to the morgue so it should be here shortly."

Kuon walked over to inspect the hands. They didn't look like a man's but that was a bit misleading. They could belong to either a woman or someone who was relatively young. He cleared his throat before speaking as Kyouko gave him a look, "From what I can see there wasn't much found around here."

"We did manage to find a cell phone. There's no battery in it." He said holding up the bag, "I don't even know if it belongs to the victim. But the folks down in tech should be able to get it working."

Kuon nodded, "Hopefully we can get the phone records once we get more information." He said as he cleared his throat again and put on some gloves.

_'Hmm, he did it again._' Kyouko thought turning to Kuon as she heard thunder off in the distance.

Throwing her jacket on she grabbed a pair of gloves and joined her partner, "Do you want to go grab your jacket?"

He shook his head, "We have to move quickly to preserve what little evidence is here." He said as he picked up a piece of plastic tubing. "You can go talk to the woman."

"I'm on it." Kyouko responded before going over to the woman.

Ten minutes later, Kyouko came back. "She didn't offer much, didn't see anyone suspicious. They had to pull over and she saw the carpet. She thought it looked nice and wanted to see if she could use it. For what I have no clue since it's on the side of the road, but that's when she noticed the hands and called it in."

"There's no way to know when it got here. People have probably been driving by it all morning." Kuon said in a clipped tone.

The investigators went to their cars to put up a makeshift tarp over the body. Moving quickly, everyone finished the covering and sealed the last evidence bag just as the rain started to fall. Within minutes the rain was pouring down. Kyouko was now had a hood covering her as Kuon stood, getting soaking wet in the rain shower. Ten minutes later the M.E. van pulled up and a man with short dark hair scurried over. Pulling the hood up over his head he kept a fast pace.

"Afternoon, the name's Hajime Azuma. I'm the lead investigator since Ikihara's kind of swamped at the moment."

"Nice to meet you." They replied as Kuon continued, "I can imagine. Everything's piling up including the body count. It's shaping up to be a bad winter." He said as his voice caught.

He cleared his throat once more as the CSI's took care in unrolling the fabric so that the victim could be extracted. As the CSI unit hauled the carpet into a large bag to preserve any possible evidence Kuon and Kyouko looked down at the body of a teenage boy. He had an elaborate tattoo of what appeared to be a dragon that could be seen on both of his arms as well as his neck.

"Definitely looks like a low level yakuza member." Kuon said looking at the body.

"Victim's a male between the ages of 14-19. Cause of death appears to be a gunshot wound to the chest." Hajime said as he placed a thermometer in the young man's torso. "As I'm sure you can already tell, this is just a dump site. He was killed somewhere else around—" He stopped as he pulled out the thermometer, "Twelve hours ago. Hmm, that's strange." He said reaching for his tweezers. Grabbing them, he reached down to the man's dark dress pants and pulled up a bright pink piece of food.

"What is that?" Kyouko asked, "It looks like fish of some kind, but I can't tell which one."

Hajime nodded. "It looks like it's possibly bluefin. I'll have to get it under the microscope to be sure. All I know is that I've never seen anything like it so it must be really high quality."

"Okay, so we need to check the more expensive restaurants to see if a man matching this description was around. We'll also want to check the cameras." Kuon finished as Kyouko quickly wrote in her notebook. "Though I doubt a restaurant could be the scene of a murder, maybe we'll find something that points us to an apartment, hotel or some other place the yakuza does business."

Just as two men came over with a body bag and stretcher, both Kuon and Kyouko's phones sounded. Kuon looked at the message before he frowned deeply.

"A new body in the Peninsula parking garage." Kuon remarked curtly as he dialed on his phone. He told the detectives at the scene to stay put until he arrived. Hanging up, he turned to Kyouko and stated grimly, "Looks like it's time for us to go."

"Good luck." Said the booming voice of the investigator.

Before they drove to the scene of their next victim, Kuon stopped at the convenience store. Sadly, the body wasn't going anywhere and there was always a wait for the coroner. Once they were next to the drink machine, Kyouko bought some Pocky and then decided to get some tea.

Joining Kuon she watched as he snagged a coffee cup, filled it and added some milk before he reached for a few packets of sugar. They each went to pay for their items and then went back out to the car. As he shut the door Kuon couldn't help but notice the look his partner gave him as he put the key into the ignition.

"What is it?" Kuon asked as he turned to her.

"You just added milk and sugar in your coffee. You always drink it straight."

Kuon suppressed a sigh, '_Nothing gets by you.'_ He thought before he responded, "You're right. I'm a bit tired so I decided to try it this way."

"I've heard you clearing your throat for the past hour. So your throat gets tired when you're tired."

"Actually no, not usually."

"Let me guess. You feel like something is stuck in there. Also when you swallow it feels scratchy, right?"

_'It did.'_ He thought as he turned to her again. "How did you know?"

"It's happened to me before. You know what that is, don't you? You have a cold."

Kuon laughed then, "No way. I can safely say that I've never had a cold."

Kyouko let out an exasperated sigh, "Then there's no way you would know when you have one. I'm telling you it's a cold. You should take care of it now. You probably got it at work."

"Now I know that can't be right. For one thing I'm not coughing and I don't have a fever."

"Trust me, by the time you have a fever it's too late. You should do something right this minute or you'll be sorry. You've also been out in the rain for the last hour which will make things worse. I'll go back inside and get something really quick."

"We need to get to the scene. As for me getting sick I doubt it will happen, but I guess we'll have to see." He said.

Kyouko kept her mouth shut. There was just no getting through to him when he was like this. Ten minutes later, they pulled up to the Peninsula Hotel. The garage was open but the yellow crime scene tape blocked off most of the cars in the employee section.

"Just great." Kuon muttered as he took out his frustration on the car door.

He was hoping to be able to narrow down the list of suspects. Looking at the various license plates on the cars as he walked through the garage and over to the crime scene let him know that was not going to be the case.

"Kirimi Nekozawa. I'm the assistant investigator." She said quickly with a smile.

_'Before this is over we'll find out just how many investigators Ikihara has.'_ Kuon thought as he returned her smile. "What's the story?" he asked briskly as he put on his gloves.

"We have a woman in her mid to late twenties, found next to her car by a coworker." Kirimi began as she pointed to a woman four cars away, "Cause of death was blunt force trauma. The impact of it broke her neck." She continued pointing to the large wound on the back of the victim's head. " She's been dead for about four hours."

"The killer's methods are all over the place." Kyouko stated. "He definitely uses weapons of opportunity."

"Four hours?" Came Kuon's response. _'Shit!'_ He thought angrily. The killer was long gone by now and had plenty of time to cover his tracks. "Wasn't she working? How did no one notice she was missing?"

An older, stout man with light brown hair came over then, "Actually, she was scheduled off exactly five hours ago."

"Of course." Kuon remarked sarcastically. _'This asshole makes sure to account for every detail.'_

"It has to be a worker." Kyouko said matter-of-factly.

"I wish I could say that for certain," The man responded as he nervously moved his collar, "This garage is shared by employees and guests of the Peninsula."

"I knew it." Kuon murmured with a sigh of annoyance before he continued, "Now there's no way to know if this is some random stalker, a tourist, an employee or a guest. Do you happen to know what room she was working in?"

He shook his head. "All I know is that she was working the 30th floor today." He started as he flashed an apprehensive look in Kuon's general direction. "It could have been any room and there are thirty on that floor. We usually have two housekeepers working but my other one had to leave early today. She said the floor was nearly done but I'm not sure which side she was working. I wish I could be of more assistance." The man finished with a meek nod.

"It's not your fault." Kuon replied, "I'm just sick of seeing the body count climb up. I'll finish this interview. Kyouko, you take the woman who found her."

"Got it." Kyouko said as she walked over to the clearly distraught woman.

Before Kyouko could get a word out the woman was already talking. "She was such a wonderful person? Why would anybody do this?"

"Can I have your name?"

"Chie Tanaka."

"Tanaka-san, I'm truly sorry about your friend." Kyouko said sadly as she gave the woman a pat on the shoulder. Then taking out her notebook her questioning began, "I know this isn't a good time but I need you to tell me exactly what you saw."

"I was getting off shift. We had plans to meet for dinner tonight since she's been planning her parents anniversary party. Since her son is with his dad, she had a bit more free time." Chie replied as she moved a tissue to her red-rimmed eyes. She bent her head down as she continued, "I had been sending her text messages since about noon with no response. I knew her shift was over then and just figured her phone had died. An hour later when I finished my shift I came out here and—" She paused again as she dissolved into more sobs."I walked right by her laying on the ground." The petite woman finished.

"How long has she been working here?"

"About three years. She helped me out when I first started."

"Any boyfriends, spouses or problems with other employees?"

"I just can't think of any. Everyone here loved her. There were some old employees she had an issue with but they had issues with everyone. They started a nasty rumor about her and our boss, but it was all a lie. That's why she is—I mean was still around and they're not." She sniffed as she continued, "Umeko was even able to set aside her differences with her ex-husband. When I first met her there was no way she would let her child out of the country." She remarked with a sigh, "Though it looks like it was a good thing he wasn't here in this case. It's just so sad and so senseless."

Kyouko nodded grimly. '_She took the words right out of my mouth.' _Looking back to her notes, Kyouko began again, "I just needed to know the names of those employees. Right now it's early so we have to look at every possible lead."

"I understand. Their names were Jun Imai, Kaori Mayumara and Megumi Konya."

"Thank you, you've been most helpful." Pulling out her card, Kyouko handed it to the woman. "If you think of anything else please do not hesitate to call."

She nodded as she took the card and stared at it blankly before looking up at Kyoko. "You have to find who did this. Umeko was one of my best friends. I don't know what I'll do without her." She stated quietly as she lowered her shining, hazel eyes.

"I promise I'll do everything in my power to get this person." Kyouko replied thinking of Kanae and Chiori as she looked over to her partner.

He was wiping his forehead and Kyouko could see the sweat dripping from him as he finished up with the manager.

"Do you need anything?" She asked quickly once she walked over. He turned to her,

"Some water would be nice."

"I'll be right back." Kyouko responded as she hurried to the vending machine. One minute later, she was back with a water which he took gratefully.

"Thanks."

Just then the young investigator lifted her head. "I've got something!"

Bending down, Kuon and Kyouko also noticed the small silver pieces between the dead woman's lips. The investigator reached for some tweezers and pulled each one out, placing a letter "U" in one small evidence bag and a letter "S" in the other before handing them to Kuon.

"Umeko Sohma." Kuon said tersely. _  
_

"Another piece of the puzzle." Kyouko stated._ 'T, O, M, I, U, S. What is this, a business, name or address? I can come up with a name but that's too easy at this stage. Also it's not a full name which is even more unhelpful. I can only come up with parts of an address or business.' _Out loud she said, "I'm missing letters! I wish I could figure out what it means."

"This is fucking madness." he said in a low voice through gritted teeth.

Turning to her partner she realized he was having problems of his own. She wasn't sure what exactly was going on but had the sinking feeling she needed to act fast. Walking over to him she whispered, "Look, I know this case is hard on you. I'm not in any position to tell you to leave but I think you should take a few minutes."

He looked over at the body for a minute before he nodded, "You might be right. I'm going to go inside for a few and see if I find anything."

Kyouko gave him a small smile as she watched the CSI's fingerprinting the car. "We have to wait for the tow truck anyhow. That sounds good."

Without another word, he turned and strode purposefully to the building while Kyouko heaved a huge sigh of relief as she turned and saw him wipe his face again. She frowned then, _'I'm going to have to pick up that medicine.'_ She thought to herself as she looked around the area herself to see if she'd missed anything.

Twenty minutes later, Kuon returned somewhat triumphant. "An employee found this with the old linen." He said holding up a large garbage bag.

Opening it up slightly, they saw the bloodstained, black garment bag.

"I don't think we'll find anything since it was left pretty much out in the open. One thing's for sure, whoever this is isn't stupid." Kuon said as he opened a fresh bottle of water.

Just then a woman and a man showed up with the stretcher. They lifted up the woman, then placed her in the black body bag. A soft thud and the high-pitched zip was heard and then they wheeled her away. The slight creaking and the rolling of the stretcher echoed in the closed space. With the beep of the barricade at the garage entrance, they were gone.

With that, after thirteen hours they could officially call it a night.

Looking over to her partner, although he tried to hide it Kyouko could clearly see him flagging. Going over to him quickly she started whispering again. "Do you have anything to eat or drink at home."

"I'm not really much of a cook and as for drinks, I'm afraid there's not much need for the ones I have stocked tonight." he answered ruefully.

"At this rate, you won't make it into work tomorrow."

"I'll be fine." Kuon replied as he nearly fell over again.

Kyouko held him up by his side, "Our shift is over so you can stop with the pretense now. I know you don't want to show weakness, especially to me but I can feel how hot you are. You're definitely running a fever." she stated firmly while casting a worried glance at his sweating face. "I'm more experienced when it comes to this. Please don't try to argue." She said as she looked right into the watery, green eyes of her partner. "Let me take you home, I promise I'll make you feel better. There's no way you're able to drive anywhere in this condition."

At this point, Kuon didn't have the heart or the strength to put up a fight. With a long sigh he closed his eyes. After a long moment he opened them before he finally opened his mouth to speak,

"Lead the way." He said weakly.

"Your place or mine?"

"Mine."

* * *

Thanks a ton for:

**Reviews**: ecchri, Daredevil girl, ayamechin, Mango-lover98, CrystallineX, Trinity1012, Otaku12367, sdmo88, FeatheredPhoenix, Tokyo's Child, Celtika82, onliafaze, kaitlynchosenisme, misao97, Saraiyu no hime, midnight-flurry and Guests(2)

**Faves**: LovinDarcy, CrazyGirl10-007, Saraiyu no hime, panda00 and PantherLily1

**Follows**: LovinDarcy, What If'Girl07, Trinity1012, Celtika82, Tokyo's Child, Rumoi, LucifersAngel17, crukay25, misao97, sdmo88. froth, Lena Breeze, Cap'n Lazy Pantz, Saraiyu no hime, panda00, yuskefan and midnight-flurry

Thanks everyone for reading!


	7. Access

We have to make a stop really quick." Kyouko said pulling up to the store although Kuon seemed completely out of it. Fifteen minutes later she was driving them to his house.

"Man this place is huge." She couldn't help saying out loud as they walked in. She was sure she'd never get around to actually seeing it all which was actually a good thing since it was best not to get too attached to someone who thought so little of her.

'_I'm doing this for the victims and the force. They all need to have the best detective working at all times.'_

Kuon was barely standing as they made it to his door but Kyouko, using all of her strength, held him up.

_'I've finally put my training to good use outside of work.'_ She thought as she fumbled her way inside of his door.

Just as she set the groceries down, Kuon looked like he might fall down again.

"Easy now!" Kyouko said quietly as she led him to the stool. "I'm no good to either of us if you fall on top of me."

"My head is heavy, it feels like I'm up in the clouds."

"Just stay there." She said. After sitting him down in a chair, Kyouko pulled out a digital thermometer and stuck it in his mouth, putting away the groceries until it beeped. Checking it, she saw it read 38.3 degrees C.

"Why did I have to catch a cold?"

"You're still on that. Kaneshiro and even Lory for that matter, told me that you don't eat properly and that you don't know how to take care of your own body."

'_It's unbelievable that you of all people would be telling me that.' _Kuon said to himself as he buried his face in his hands as Kyouko continued.

"I know you train a lot but there's more to keeping healthy than that. Sure you're busy but that convenience store junk isn't going to cut it."

Kuon sighed long and deep. She was 100 percent correct "This is embarrassing. I should have listened to what you said."

Kyouko could only look at him. '_Who'd have thought? So he can be nice.' _Kyouko went to the bag, pulling out items as she spoke. "I got you some cough drops, fever and cold medicine as well as a water bottle and some cooling packs." She said as she pulled one out. "Here you need to put this on."

Next, Kyouko grabbed a bowl from the dish rack and the shaved ice from the freezer. She placed it in the bowl before she got some honey and poured it on.

"Since you don't have much of an appetite already, I thought this would help with your throat." Kyouko stated as she gave Kuon the bowl along with a spoon.

_'How did she know. My throat hurts so much I can't even swallow water.'_

"I know it's hard, but you have to eat something even if you don't want to! Otherwise you can't take your medicine. I'll be making a bit of soup soon. You need to eat it or risk me having to feed you.""

'_As terrible as I've been to her she's gone out of her way to take care of me.'_ he thought as he took a bite from his bowl. '_This is delicious! I'm able to swallow this without any problem.'_

"I'll do whatever I can to help you out." Kyouko said with that familiar determined look on her face. "I'll make sure we'll both be back to work tomorrow. Tokyo needs you." Kyouko said putting away the rest of the groceries before she continued, "So if you feel like you're going to fall again, feel free to lean on me."

Kuon could only look at her. '_Maybe because of her history with the TPMD, I overlooked something very crucial about this woman. I wasn't looking at the way she really is.'_

"Come on let's get you upstairs and in bed," Kyouko said interrupting his thoughts as she gripped him by the arm. Slowly they made their way into his room. Kyouko busied herself preparing his bed, the medicine and water bottle as he took a shower and changed. Once he was all settled she gave him once last once over before she stated, "You get some sleep and I'll be back to check on you later."

While Kyouko was busy making soup, the doorbell rang. Looking around she went to go answer it. When she opened the door she saw none other than the tall, female cop from the second victim's murder scene.

"Hi, I'm..." Kyouko started but she was interrupted,

"I know who you are." Emi replied coolly. "I'm here to see—"

"I know why you're here." Now it was Kyouko's turn to cut her off, "I hate to disappoint you but Kuon's sick and can't have any visitors."

"Then why are you here?"

"I'm taking care of him so that he can get better."

"I can do that," she started, trying to make her way in but Kyouko's look as well as a thinly veiled darkness stopped the woman in her tracks. "He doesn't even like you." She finally spat out as she turned her head.

'_Real mature. He sure has interesting taste in women.'_ Kyouko thought. "So I've noticed." She responded quickly. "Even so it's my responsibility to make sure the city's best detective is able to work tomorrow." Kyouko said as she moved to close the door, "I think we can both agree that's way more important than anything you have planned. You know where he lives. You can come back and see him tomorrow. Good night." She finished, giving the woman a slight bow before she closed the door, leaving Emi even angrier.

"What a fucking bitch!" She fumed before she stomped off.

* * *

Back inside, Kyouko finished cooking dinner, brought some to Kuon and then put the rest in some containers. '_At least he'll have something more healthy for lunch.'_

Four hours later, with everything cleaned up and case files becoming an incoherent jumble inside of her head, Kyouko went upstairs to check on Kuon. He was asleep. Taking a moment to feel his foreheas Kyouko noted his temperature seemed lower. Checking the cooling pack she decided it needed changing. He woke up just as she pulled off the old one.

"I just have to change this."

Looking up at her, old thoughts of the young girl back in Kyoto came into his mind.

'_My idea of her back then was that she lived somewhere in a fairyland and cried a lot because she had problems with her mother but "Sho-chan" was enough to make her smile again. Although she was four years younger than me, she was_— _is extraordinarily strong willed and spontaneous._' Kuon mused as he closed his eyes again for a moment, _'Whatever she does, she does it with compassion and with great enthusiasm. Now that I've seen her again, I realize she has always been my idea of a Japanese woman.'_

Kyouko grabbed another pack, "It's okay, go back to sleep." He closed his eyes as she said, "This one should last until morning."

She was just about to get off of the bed when she heard a faint, "Thank you."

"What was that?" She asked quietly while she turned around.

"Kyouko." Kuon said earnestly as he reached for her hand, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Get some sleep." She responded as she put his hand back in the bed.

Kyouko went back to the living room to look over files but found it hard to concentrate. Before she knew it morning had arrived.

"I was caught off guard because he was actually nice to me. Then again, he also had a high fever." She said to herself as she got up and went to the kitchen. '_There's no way he'd ever touch me, look at me like he did or say my name in that way if he was thinking clearly.'_

* * *

At around 6:30 a.m. Kuon was awake. Sitting up quickly, he eyed the water bottle under his head and then remembered.

"I'm not sure how it happened but I'm feeling much better." He said to himself as he got out of bed.

Walking out of his room and downstairs, he saw Kyouko's bag next to the table. _'That's right.'_ he thought as the noise from his blender broke up his thought. Walking toward the kitchen he leaned against the wall as he watched Kyouko mixing. "Sorry to bother you," He said as Kyouko turned to look at him."

"Kuon!"

"Mysterious objects are turning into even more mysterious objects over there." He said pointing to the stove.

"Geez!" Kyouko replied with a grimace.

Ten minutes later they were sitting at the table with bowls of soup in front of them. Kyouko had tea but Kuon was still staring at his cup.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make such a mess, but I wanted to make sure you ate something, so I made things that were simple." Kyouko said.

"This looks pretty complex." Kuon said, holding up the glass as he inspected the green mixture.

"It's a stamina juice, it will help you get through today."

"I see." He said as he drank it. Three minutes later when he was done, "I would have appreciated you telling me before how terrible it was. Do you really hate me that much?"

'_How am I supposed to respond?'_ Kyouko thought quickly, _'I don't hate him but I can't say I like him all that much either. Why is he asking me that anyway?' _Instead she got up and grabbed the thermometer, satisfied when it beeped and said 37.8 degrees C.

"Thank you, it looks like you've done what you planned." He said.

"Actually I'm certain it was the medicine."

"But you gave me the bottle and the cooling pack, right?"

_'Does he remember?'_

"You even changed my clothes." He said absently looking down at his pajamas.

"No I definitely didn't, you did that yourself." Kyouko added quickly. _'That answers that question.'_ Standing up, she said, "I'm going to go change. We've got to get going." she went to get the dishes, placed them in the sink and then washed them before getting on her clothes.

* * *

"Thank you for finally meeting with me." Akio said enthusiastically as he shook the hands that were offered.

"So what is it that you're looking for?"

"Whatever you have. I just want to make sure you get to the target."

Suddenly, a blindfold was put over Akio's eyes.

"What's going on?" He asked haltingly.

"We're about to take you to the merchandise but we can't take any chances. No sense giving up our location." One man said as he shoved Akio into the car.

Twenty minutes later the vehicle came to a stop and he was pulled out and shoved into a wall of muscle. A large hand clamped down on his bicep and led him along the concrete until he felt the whoosh of a door and the steps began to echo around them.

"Here we are." Came a voice as the barrier was removed.

Akio looked around in wonder at the multitude of weapons.

"Truthfully I'm not sure what I should get." He said apologetically.

"That depends. Where's the target?"

"On the third floor of an apartment building. She also works among people but that's too dangerous."

"In that case this should do." Said the man as he grabbed a Remington 700 5R rifle. "With upgrades including a Leupold Mark 4 scope, bipod and laser it will make hitting the person that much easier.

"I can't shoot these myself." Akio stated.

"In that case we should talk about men. How many do you need?"

"Well I'll need two to carry out the first phase and then another for the second and hmmm..." Akio paused, "I'm thinking perhaps a total of five including the extra surveillance among other things."

"That'll cost you half a million US dollars." He said. "We like to avoid the whole conversion issue as well as the middleman and I doubt you could get that much yen anyway."

_'He's right.'_ Akio decided. "Oh I forgot to mention that she's a cop."

"Oh are you looking to get CK's? That's gonna be another fifty thousand for each one."

"CK's?" Akio asked.

"Cop killers. They are special made bullets that go through any protective gear. They're difficult to get and we do not deal with that. Here." The man said brusquely while handing him a card. "You'll have to talk to this man. He can get you what you need."

"Got it." Akio said as he pocketed the card, "And as for everything else?"

"We'll get started on "surveillance" right away." The man said as he sat the weapon down. "It was a pleasure doing business with you." He added as Akio shook his hand.

Akio closed his eyes to prepare for the blindfold that went back over his eyes.

* * *

"A date?" Kyouko asked.

"No. Kenta knew you would freak so we've called it a gathering among friends." Kanae said, "Kenta reached out and said he had a friend. He even got us VIP seats at a really good club. He didn't want to tell me the place though so it's a surprise."

"When?"

"Tonight. Like in four hours. It's Saturday night and we all know you'll just be watching TV or something else boring. Besides are you really going to turn down spending time with me?"

Her friend knew her all too well. With a small sigh Kyouko replied, "Okay. I'll see you later Mouko."

"Great, Kenta will be by to pick you up at 8:30."

Hanging up the phone, Kyouko went back to work looking at her files. After an hour of banging her head against an invisible wall she gave up and decided to start getting ready.

Right as she finished putting the last of her makeup on she heard the doorbell ring. Opening the door, her breath caught for a moment at the sight before her. Kenta had his dark hair slicked back and looked casual, yet put together in some black slacks and a navy blue long-sleeved shirt.

"You look lovely." He replied as he looked Kyouko up and down in her plum A-line dress and matching flats. "How are you?"

"I'm good." Kyouko managed to squeak out as she took the hand that he offered.

Twenty minutes later Kyouko gaped at the sign that appeared in front of her eyes.

"How did you get VIP access to the_ Shion_?_" _Kyouko asked quietly.

"Actually, my friend is close to the son of one of the owners." Kenta replied, flashing his smile. "I hope it's not too much."

"No it's not that. I've never been inside." Kyouko said as they got out of the car. "Excuse me for a second, I'll join you in a second.

"Okay, I'll be right inside the door." He said as his hand lingered on her arm for a moment before he went inside the solid marble door.

Kyouko spent a few minutes pacing. At first she wanted to pick up the phone and call her partner or Kaneshiro to give her some kind of direction. _'How should I go about this?'_ She thought trying to formulate a plan. _'It's best not to bring too much attention to myself. I can also still get an idea of what the place looks like._' She told herself before she snapped her fingers. 'I might even get to catch a glimpse of an owner!' she thought as she finally decided.

"I'll consider this to be surveillance." She said to herself, "I'll get all the information I can out of here and report back to the CS."

Kyouko smiled as she walked past the door and was met by a well-dressed doorman. "Right this way." He said as a white gloved hand ushered her into the entrance.

"Thank you." Kyouko responded as Kenta walked up.

"Here I thought I'd lost you." He said as he placed an arm around her shoulders.

Kyouko allowed herself to be led up to the VIP room where she met up with Kanae and Yuichi .

"Finally, you get here."

"Sorry Mouko, I had an issue to attend to." Kyouko replied quietly as she looked around the room.

Plush black leather seats covered two walls of the room while red leather seats covered the other two. The walls were painted red by the black seats and black by the red seats, the opposite of the chairs. Four expensive, yet elegant chandeliers hung from the ceiling. There was even another bar located in the corner.

Kyouko sat down in a seat and was taken by surprise when it began to recline.

"These are really comfortable." She said as she leaned back and placed a hand on the black marble table that rested next to her.

Kenta pressed a button and soon their drinks arrived. There was even a menu that offered various food choices.

"I've never had this at a nightclub before." Kanae remarked.

"Now you know why they're so busy." Chimed in Yuichi.

Right after they had received their drinks, the door opened again. In walked a six foot tall man with hazel eyes and light brown hair to match. A dragon tattoo could be seen on his neck even under the crisp black three piece suit he had on.

"Good evening. I'm Masaru Toriyama." He greeted them as his eyes went to Kanae and Kyouko. "As VIP's I wanted to make sure that your service has been up to par."

"Yes we've been enjoying ourselves immensely." Kyouko said, standing up to give the man a bow.

"I'm glad." He replied as his eyes lingered on Kyouko before he walked over to her and handed her a card. "Please don't hesitate to call me should there be anything_ you _might need. There's absolutely nothing I can't handle." He finished as he took her hand and gently kissed it. Then giving her one last look that heated her entire body he gave a small bow and walked out.

Kyouko had no idea how she made the ten second trek back to her seat but she did.

"Wow! I can see why this place is so popular." She said quickly.

Kenta reached over and grabbed her hand, although he was keeping his distance now, "Yes that's the owner's son. He's a little more hands on when it comes to running the business at _Shion_. Though I have to say I didn't expect him to be here this evening."

"How do you know him?" Kyouko asked.

"We went to school together actually." Kenta replied. "Though obviously our career paths took different turns."

"All that matters is that you enjoy what you do and work your hardest at it." Kyouko said.

"I suppose." Kenta said absently before he looked to the door. "I'll be back."

"Wow, who knew you could attract the attention of the owner!" Kanae whispered.

"To be honest, I don't know what that was." Kyouko remarked nervously. "I was trying to gather information for my job." She told Kanae in a low voice.

"Understood." Kanae said. "Just be careful. No sense putting yourself in danger just to solve a case."

"I don't intend to." Kyouko stated. "In fact I'm not sure what to do from here. I'll have to call Kaneshiro once we leave."

"Keep me in the loop." Kanae said as she went to grab another drink. "Have fun!" She added as Kenta walked back through the door.

* * *

"I don't understand what you're trying to find Miroku. All I need to do is walk around the place to get a genuine feel for the woman."

"Our assignment was to look for anything personal." Miroku said as he opened yet another drawer. "Make sure nothing is out of place. She's a cop so we have to assume she'll notice even the slightest change."

"I know she'll be very interesting." The platinum haired man said as he picked up the glass encased item on the shelf. "Wow!" he cried out as he almost dropped the stone. "Even through the glass I can feel so much negative energy."

Miroku sighed, "Reino, put that down. You need to be remembering the place. We'll probably only have a chance for one more visit."

"I'll be fine." He said quickly, "As you know I do my best work in the dark."

"They said the customer is paying a lot so everything has to be carried out the exact way that he wants it. Any screw-ups will be coming directly out of your pay. Which means you can kiss those coffin upgrades good-bye."

"I get it, I get it Miroku. Don't worry, I won't mess this up." He began, "In fact, I have to say that she's piqued my interest."

"Just don't get too carried away." Miroku responded.

"All I can do is say that I'll try my hardest."

"Be sure that you do because if you mess up I'm telling you now you're on your own." Miroku remarked as he closed the last drawer. "Looks like we're done here. C'mon Reino let's go."

* * *

Kyouko was back at work Monday morning with a black coffee for her partner.

Just then Kaneshiro came up to her, "Mogami, I need to see you."

Kyouko went out of her way to avoid her partner's look as she followed him in and closed the door,

"So what was it that you got exactly?" He asked as he picked up a file from his desk.

"I did manage to make contact with Masaru Toriyama. He's the son of the owner." Kyouko replied trying to keep the encounter out of her mind.

"So he's possibly second or third generation. This is great. Exactly the type of access we need. I'll be sure to let the task force know."

"Um, Kaneshiro-sama, I- I'm not too sure I made all that great of an impression." Kyouko remarked. '_Though I can't say the same for myself concerning Toriyama-san._'

"The fact that you even got where you did is more than we ever managed with all of our surveillance." He said as he picked up another paper. "As I said, I'll get back to you but be prepared to return to _Shion_ again. This is excellent information you got. Good job Mogami." He stated as she stood up.

"Thank you, sir." She said with a bow before she left.

When she got back to her office Kuon was getting up to go.

"We just got an anonymous tip about the second Peninsula victim. It looks like her car has been found over in Shinjuku."

"That's great! I hope we find something." Kyouko said excitedly as she grabbed her bag.

"Speaking of which-" Kuon began pointedly, "I wanted to thank you properly for taking care of me. It was a big help and I really owe you."

"Oh no it wasn't any trouble. " Kyouko fumbled quickly, "I mean it was important to get you back on your feet and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought even though you're so—"

"Please?" Kuon interrupted looking into her eyes, "It's the least I can do. And no you didn't have to do it. We can go to your favorite restaurant. It's my treat."

After quickly turning away Kyouko mulled it over and decided, "Okay, then we'll go to where I used to work. They have a great menu and always serve some of my favorite things."

"Okay. I'll meet you there at say—" Kuon paused as he looked down, "7:30 Friday."

"Um, don't you have something better to do than go eat dinner with your partner?"

He was supposed to meet up with Emi but this was a bit more important right now. "It's fine, it's not a date and dinner shouldn't take very long." He replied smoothly.

"Okay then, that sounds good."Kyouko said hesitantly, "Just meet me at the Daruma-ya."

* * *

They both stood next to the black Honda Civic but after searching for two hours they had found nothing. Upon opening the trunk, they had simply found a cryptic note that said, **_"I'm halfway there."_**

"So far we've only found three bodies. So that must mean that there will be a final count of six bodies." Kyouko said to herself as Kuon stood silently next to her.

'_She really is pretty good at putting the pieces together.'_ Kuon thought to himself as he watched the car get fingerprinted. '_He obviously wanted us to find this so what else could we be missing. Was it just the note he wanted us to see?'_

"We were able to find plenty of prints." Came the voice of a CSI on the scene.

"Hopefully we can find a hit in the system somewhere." Kuon replied though he wasn't all that hopeful. After a few more moments he turned to Kyouko, "It looks like we've done all we can here so there's nothing left to do but go back to the station. Hopefully Ishibashi-san has found something on the phone for our other case."

Kyouko nodded and started walking toward the car.

* * *

Kuon reached over to the nightstand feeling the weight of Rick's watch as he reached for his glass. Taking a slow sip he put it down and closed his eyes, attempting to relax as much as he could. It had been a long day and knowing that there would be more victims out there was continuing to take a toll. Right now nothing was working to ease his anxiety level.

Crazily enough his only source of comfort at the moment was his upcoming dinner with his partner. He couldn't figure out why but he was beginning to notice that he felt most at ease whenever she was around. He didn't know what to make of it at the moment but ever since she went out of her way to make sure he was okay he found he was now able to tolerate her more anyway.

His thoughts were other places as the voice cut into his thoughts, "You sure are quiet this evening. Penny for your thoughts?" Emi asked as she moved over closer.

Kuon turned to her quickly, "It's nothing really. I'm fine." He replied with a smile that was enough to appease her. He actually wished she would have stayed silent but no matter.

"How's work been going?" She asked.

"The same. More cases with no answers. We're trying to put the leads all together."

"So I guess that means you've made no progress with the _Shion_ case?"

'_What the fuck? Did I just hear that right?' _Kuon shot up from his pillow so quick his head spun with the effort. He paused for a few moments in an attempt to compose himself but it didn't work. A barely contained fury emphasized his words, though they remained measured and smoothly delivered:

"What did you just say?"

* * *

**A/N**: Thanks for reading! Apologies for any spelling/grammatical errors.


	8. Questions

**I do not own Skip Beat! or its characters**

Thanks so much for your reviews, faves, and follows. Names at the end.

* * *

"About what?" Emi floundered.

"Don't play stupid."

"I thought it was common knowledge."

"Of course you did." Kuon began sarcastically, "Surely you can tell by my reaction it's not. So the real question is, how do you know?"

"I—"

"Look I'm sure we both know exactly what happened." Kuon replied. His eyes narrowed to slits before he continued, "So how about you stop with this bullshit and just answer my question."

"I didn't think it would do any harm." Emi said softly.

"Wouldn't do any harm? Are you fucking kidding me?" He growled.

Without another word, he turned around and walked out of the room and down the stairs.

Emi quickly followed after him. "Look Kuon. I know that you're mad but —"

"What? There's not a damn thing you can say to justify this." He said as he went about opening and slamming a cabinet to pull out a tumbler. "Shit!" He said out loud as he realized, "Now you also leave me no choice but to let the PTB know."

"Kuon please. I only did it to help out my brother. Was it stupid? Yes. But even so I still need my job."

_'Unbelievable.'_ Kuon thought as he pulled open the cabinet above the refrigerator. Not even bothering to use the glass he got, he opened the bottle and took a long swig of the amber liquid. "Then I guess you should have thought about that before taking money from the yakuza."

"You're not being fair. After everything you'd still be so quick to turn me in?" Emi asked, her voice rising with each syllable, "So what was this exactly then, Kuon? Did it all mean nothing to you?"

'_Am I really having this conversation?_' Kuon asked himself as he took another slow sip, then sighed before he continued, "I made it very clear to you from the start that this wouldn't go anywhere. I should have known this would happen." He paused as his irritation grew, "As for being fair I happen to have a pretty decent partner who gets her ass hauled into the PTB regularly for things she has nothing to do with. So you'll understand why I'm not all that fucking interested in what _you_ consider fair.

"Partner? You mean the woman you hate? What did she do to cause this change in you?"

Kuon now found himself at a loss for words. '_She has a point. What did bring this on?'_

"All I'm trying to say is that there are a lot of good officers who get thrown under the bus because they have pieces of shit for partners." Kuon stated as he moved to the door. "By doing what you've done, you've made your choice."

"I love this "act" you have going. It really suits you."

"Act? What the hell are you talking about? You've just shown you don't know me at all. So why would I ever want to pursue anything with you? We put our lives on the line while officers like you can be turned so easily. How about you do both of us a favor? Grow the fuck up and take responsibility for your actions."

"I will. I intend to."

"I really hope that's true. The fact is nobody is ever going to trust you. As officers we're involved in life or death situations and your actions have told me and anybody else you won't give a damn about anyone. You should really get out while you can. You'll only be miserable if you stay on."

"You're right as always." Emi muttered quietly. "Kuon Hizuri the perfect cop. Seems you can do no wrong."

"I'm pretty far from perfect and for the record, I never said I was. I don't care about your so-called important reasons! If you truly gave a shit about anyone other than yourself, you would have never taken a single fucking thing from those assholes."

"I get it." She said quickly as she walked over to the door. As he opened it she stepped out and turned to him one last time.

Emi's final good-bye was directed at a solid mahogany door instead.

* * *

Kuon held the door open for Kyouko as they entered the extravagant Gonpachi restaurant. Before they could even move to retrieve their badges an older woman greeted them.

"Table for two?" She asked as she grabbed one menu, "Or perhaps you two would prefer to eat side-by-side like some other couples. I have the perfect..."

"Sorry." Kuon interrupted her as he flashed his badge, "I'm Kuon Hizuri and this is my partner Kyouko Mogami. We need to talk to the manager. It's concerning a case."

"Certainly." She stated as she bowed, "My apologies for jumping to the wrong conclusion."

"It's really okay. I guess I can understand why you would think that." Kuon remarked as he gave the woman a smile.

_'I don't._' Kyouko thought as they were led over to a lavish seating area.

Kyouko sank into a sumptuous, red velour armchair and closed her eyes. After ten minutes a stout, older man dressed in a gray suit came over to them.

"Please come with me. I'd prefer to do this in a place that's more private."

"Of course." Kuon said smoothly as they got up to follow him. "Is there any way we can see the credit card used for the order?"

"Of course. My server should be able to look it up. Just head over to the bar."

Kyouko got up and followed the server while Kuon went to the manager's office. Once inside, Kuon began his questioning. "So how many did you see with him?" Kuon asked.

"Actually I wasn't the one who served them. Naoko should be arriving shortly."

Kuon nodded just as a slight knock sounded at the door.

"Good afternoon." She greeted the two men timidly with a bow.

Kuon smiled at the woman warmly. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I just had a few questions about some customers you served here last Thursday."

"I know who you mean." She began. "There were four of them including the young man. He didn't look all that distressed but he didn't look very much at ease either."

"Did you notice any distinguishing marks on them?" Kuon asked, "Even if it's something small, I need to know everything you remember."

"Hmm." the woman mused as she closed her brown eyes, "I noticed what looked to be tattoos of some kind on two of them though they took great care in covering them. Also one of the older men had a piece of his pinkie finger missing. It was on his left hand." She finished right as Kyouko walked up.

"Success!" She exclaimed, "I have the receipt here and this is the name that was on the card."

"Okay call it in." Kuon said. Kyouko nodded and made her call as he turned back to the woman. "Finally were you here to see what they ordered."

"Yes! Once we saw their order our manager told all of us to make sure they had anything they needed." She said as she pointed out the items to Kuon.

"Bluefin is definitely on the menu. Thank you so much Naoko-san. You've been most helpful." Kuon stated as Kyouko walked back over.

"I just talked to Ishibashi-san and he was able to look up the address we have on file. It appears he has a couple of priors."

"We'll definitely have to go back to the station then." Kuon said matter of factly. "We don't want to rush in without knowing what to expect."

"Understood." Kyouko responded as they left the restaurant.

* * *

Kuon was back at his desk looking at the file in front of him. His eyes wandered to the seat across from him as Kyouko sat down and busied herself with writing. Kuon had to admit, her dedication reminded him of the way he had been back when he first started. Given some time she would definitely be one of the finer detectives on the force.

He was about to ask her a question when his phone rang.

"Detective Hizuri speaking."

The words he heard next sped up his heartbeat, "I have some information about something weird I happened to notice in my upstairs neighbor's apartment."

"I'm interested in anything you have to tell me." Kuon said as he grabbed his pen.

"Well I wasn't sure what to make of it at first but then I saw the police flyer. The other morning I saw some people carrying something. There were three of them and they seemed to be having trouble."

"So three men were carrying something in broad daylight?"

"Actually I couldn't sleep that night so it was more like three in the morning."

"I see. Can you describe what you saw to me?"

"All I could see was something that looked like a rug. It was the strings on the edge of it that stood out. I also heard a lot of noise and saw him come back later carrying in a bunch of cleaning supplies."

_'I'm not sure if that's enough for us to get a warrant.'_ Kuon thought "We'll definitely look into it."

"There were also four people that went in and only three that came out. Though I guess that person could have just stayed over. I've only ever seen one of them."

Now Kuon's interest was piqued. "Where do you live?"

"I live in Shunjuku Gardens. You can talk to the owners. At one time this complex was pretty bad so they installed cameras."

Now Kuon brightened. '_Perfect. We might even get to see if the victim is one of the men on camera. In any event we can start out with that.'_ Out loud he said, "Thank you so much for giving me a call. We appreciate you taking the time out to help us."

"It's the least I can do, though I'd rather not give you my information."

"Don't worry about it."Kuon said quickly. "You'd be surprised how many anonymous tips we get. As long as it gets us to the suspect it brings us much closer to closing the case than if nobody had ever spoken. Thank you again." He said as he hung up.

"What's that about?" Kyouko asked.

"Looks like we have an address. I'm going to make a call and hopefully we can get this thing going in a few hours."

"Good luck." She remarked as Kuon stood up to leave.

"Thanks." He replied as he left the building.

* * *

"It's not often that you come to my turf to see me." Yashiro noted as Kuon walked in through the door.

"Well I had to stop in Judge Onishi's chambers so I thought I'd drop by since you're in the next building."

"How have you been Kuon?" Yashiro asked with a large grin.

"Much better lately."

"I see. So it looks like Lory was right as usual."

_'I knew this was coming.'_ Kuon thought as he gave his friend a smile. "Looks that way but it wasn't as bad as it could have been."

"Yeah could you imagine the embarrassment of being involved with someone who takes bribes from the bad guys?"

"Well luckily she slipped up so a trip to the PTB was all that was needed."

"I'm sure you came out clean as usual."

"Of course since I made the first move and reached out to them."

"Of course." Yashiro repeated. "So did you find the guys who got to her?"

"No, but there must be more officers than her. She didn't even apologize. She kept trying to turn things on me. I can't remember ever being so annoyed even with Mogami."

"Well it seems some people just can't see past themselves." Yashiro noted as he moved his chair back, "Now I already know a little of the details but what exactly brings you down to my office this morning?"

"I wanted to look at the file that you have so far on the open cases that took place around club _Shion_."

"Certainly, though I have to warn you it's not very much." Yashiro added as he stood up to go to the file cabinet. "Here you go. Have you found any leads on the murders."

"Actually another body showed up in addition to the two who were killed outside of the club."

Yashiro sighed, "Well maybe this new victim can help you with those."

"I'm counting on it. We have an address and we plan to execute the warrant in a couple of hours."

"Good luck with that and with..."

"I know what you're going to say. To tell the truth I'm not concerned about that part of my life at the moment."

"Just give it a few days and I'm sure that will change."

_'I hope not.'_ Kuon thought to himself as he said out loud, "I guess we'll see. Thanks for this by the way."

"It's no problem. That's what we do. You'll keep me informed?"

"Definitely."

* * *

Armed with nothing but their fists and stab vests, Kuon and Kyouko hung back as the officers armed with facemasks went in front of them.

First came four sharp knocks along with an officer who boomed, "TPMD! Open up!"

Next came the splintering of wood as a large boot kicked the door in.

Kuon and Kyouko got into position. Kyouko watched her partner carefully. With a finger he let her know where to go. Moving stealthily down the hallway Kuon took the master bedroom while Kyouko went to the other closed door.

Right as she walked in a man looked up at her in surprise as he stood there still in his boxers.

"Not another step!" Kyouko called out as she rushed into action. She had the man down on the ground before she cuffed him. "I've got him!" She yelled as the rest of the men came rushing over.

"That was almost too easy." Kuon remarked with a frown as he walked over to the man. "Is there anyone else who was here?"

The man shook his head.

Just then an officer came in, "We've seen drops of what appears to be blood on the kitchen floor."

"I'll get the crime scene unit here." Kuon said as he dialed on his phone. "Hopefully things haven't been compromised too much."

Once Kuon got off the phone he turned to Kyouko, "Nicely done."

"Thank You."

"Let's go." Kuon said quickly as he lifted the man up.

He said nothing as the two detectives led him out of the building and down to the police station.

* * *

Kyouko stood with Kaneshiro as she looked through the double sided glass. The look on Kuon's face at the moment reminded Kyouko of a lion chasing a rabbit. She looked away for a moment trying not to shiver at the image she painted in her mind.

"The reason we're here is because I want you to watch your partner. Everything you learn will help you if you get stuck doing an interrogation on your own. Sometimes the men see a woman and think that they can play the intimidation factor. If you watch their body language you know what to expect. This way you're better prepared."

"I'll take in everything I can." Kyouko replied as she turned and squinted, making sure to take in every detail as the questioning started.

"So." Kuon began as he slammed a fist down on the table. "Would you care to explain why we found this—" He started as he pulled out pictures showing blood spatter, "In a residence that has your name on the lease?"

"I didn't do any..."

"I'm not interested in your half assed excuses!" Kuon bellowed, standing up again as he hovered over the man. "All I want from you is the truth. Now—" He paused as he sat back down. "Let's try this again."

"I'm telling the truth. I didn't do anything. I got a call and I had to do what they wanted. I went to the restaurant and once we were done, the car arrived at my place."

"Why?"

"I really don't know. He made the decision at the last possible second. What could I do?"

"Call the police!" Kuon shouted as he stood and went over to the desk in the corner. "Instead you just sat there as they took _this._" He slammed down the plastic bag with the 32 mm Beretta pistol. "And put a bullet through a man's chest."

"Th-That's not mine!" The man exclaimed as his adam's apple bobbed rapidly.

"According to the evidence it is." Kuon remarked, picking up the bag and holding it in the air. "The serial number is gone so as far as we're concerned you have the opportunity in addition to the weapon. Add in the blood on your walls and we don't even need a motive. Your credit card led us right to you. Do you have any clue how this makes you look?"

The man sat frozen, his eyes wide as he looked back into Kuon's face. "Look, I'd never lie to you detective. If I was a killer, would I have stuck around waiting to get caught?"

"Of course you wouldn't. That's why I'm asking you to tell me everything. I need the victim's name and the name of anyone else that was with you."

"I know the victim but I don't know who the men are. I swear it!"

"I need you to think of anything you heard or saw. Even if it's circumstantial with all of this we have against you there's no doubt you'll be charged as an accessory." Kuon's voice rose as he stood up, "How about I tack on a charge of obstruction as well?"

"Hold on! Just hold on!" The suspect exclaimed in exasperation. "I need some time to think!" He finished as he bit on one of his fingers.

"You have two minutes." Kuon stated as he slowly grabbed the pictures before he left the room and slammed the door behind him.

_'Wow! He made that look so easy!_' Kyouko thought as she watched him walk over.

"I think that should do it." Kuon said quietly as Kaneshiro handed him a paper. "All that's left to do is to try to get the names and faces."

"This is the most important part." Kaneshiro said quietly, "They're always the most nervous while waiting."

"It really depends on the type of criminal." Kuon added. "Even with his priors this guy wasn't really expecting it. While I hoped he'd put up a little fight it still made things look easy. A more hardened criminal won't even blink and they may be the ones trying to stare you down. Just remember it's all like a chess match. It's about who can get through the other's defenses first."

Kyouko nodded, "I'll make sure to remember that."

"Be sure that you do." Kaneshiro piped up. " If they sense the slightest hint of weakness, they will show you no mercy whatsoever."

"Time to finish this up." Kuon said quickly as he entered the room.

Kaneshiro left as Kyouko watched the man jump as Kuon pounded the paper down onto the desk. "You write down everything. If I think you're hiding anything a murder charge will be the least of your problems."

The man raised a shaky hand as he wrote on the paper. Ten minutes later officers were leading him away as Kuon exited behind him.

"I just have to go see Kaneshiro and we should be on our way."

* * *

Kyouko arrived at the Daruma-ya at 6:20 with the intention of helping out but the Taisho and Okami were having no part of it.

"Kyouko please go have a seat and relax. You've worked all day."

"So have you." She replied gesturing to the Taisho. "The least I can do is get everything ready for what we're eating."

"We'll have none of that." The Taisho admonished not missing a beat with his chopping. "I know what you like and how to prepare it."

Kyouko readied for a reply and then sighed. They had been through this routine enough. Kyouko, though she tried, was never going to win.

"Here, if you want to help out, then go grab the drinks we'll need for the night from the back. I'm sure I can come up with something else while you're doing that."

With a broad smile Kyouko bowed and said, "Thank you. You guys have really been so kind to me and I just want to be able to return the favor."

As she scurried to the back the Okami moved next to her husband. "That's our Kyouko for you. I don't think she'll ever be herself if she's not able to help out with something."

The Taisho only grunted in response. The decisive thunk of the large knife continued as it hit the hunk of meat on the cutting board.

When Kyouko came back the Okami asked, "So Kyouko who's the man you'll be eating with tonight?"

The Taisho paused for a mere second as he waited for her response.

"Well actually he's just my partner. I really didn't want to do this."

"The man who doesn't like you?" The Okami responded incredulously. "Pardon my reaction Kyouko, but it seems a little surprising that he'd want to spend any time with you outside of work."

"I feel the same way you do." Kyouko responded, "But he insisted since I took care of him when he was sick. Since I couldn't say no I figured I might as well use it as an opportunity. The case we've been working has been keeping me busy and I really wanted to see the both of you." Kyouko finished.

Once the Okami wrapped her arms around Kyouko she allowed a few tears to fall. Wiping them away quickly, the Okami spoke in soothing tones as she pulled away from the hug.

"Don't worry so much Kyouko. I know that it's hard right now but he'll come around. They always do. As for now." She said as she grabbed the young woman, "That's enough working for today. Go sit down, relax and wait for your partner to arrive."

"Are you sure?" Kyouko asked.

"Yes!" The Taisho roared.

"Okay." Kyouko said with a sigh as she sank back in her seat, "But please let me know if you need anything."

"We'll be sure to do just that." The Okami remarked.

Twenty minutes later, Kuon entered through the front door. Kyouko held a hand up to signal him over.

"These are the most private seats they have." Kyouko said as he sat down. "Don't worry nobody will see you unless you want them to."

"This place is quite nice." Kuon remarked as he picked up a menu.

"They've worked really hard. Now it's a favorite of the businessmen when they get off work. I've already ordered your usual." She added quickly, "Just let me know if there's anything you wanted to add."

"I see a couple of things, but I'll have to save those for later. Do they do special requests?"

"Certainly! Why? Did you have a taste for something?"

"As a matter of fact I did." Kuon said evenly as he set the menu down. "Boiled frogs."

"Boiled?" Kyouko felt her stomach turn at the thought.

"They taste better than they look."

"I'll take your word for it. There's no way I'd ever touch those."

"What if I asked you nicely?"

Kyouko held back a laugh, "Like that would ever happen."

Just then their meals were brought over to them. Kuon had his usual onigiri with soup while Kyouko had a hamburger steak topped with a fried egg. Her eyes lit up as she looked at the food.

"I don't understand how someone like you can eat so little. To make matters worse, it's such junk from the convenience store."

Kuon shrugged, "I can't really explain it either. It's been that way since I was little." He said as he took a sip of his drink. '_That reminds me, I better prepare myself for my parents upcoming visit. I don't think there's a restaurant that can make as much as he eats.'_

"I can't believe I'm saying this given your feelings about me, but I can't sit by and watch you damage your health with what you eat. To be honest, you can't get sick again. I can make something to bring you during the week. It's really no trouble since it's not much. I have to cook for myself anyhow."

"If you want." He replied absently.

"Ok I guess that settles it then. I'll have some home cooked food to bring to you on Monday."

"I look forward to it." Kuon replied with a hint of a smirk but Kyouko was no longer paying attention.

"Mmmm, this is delicious!" She took another bite of her steak and closed her eyes slowly. "I'm sorry." Kyouko remarked quickly once she realized how engrossed in her plate she was, "It's just that this meal is one of my absolute favorites."

Kuon watched as she ate her food so animatedly. He tried not to stare as her sighs of pleasure continued while she chewed. "I see." He said as he tried and failed at holding back a laugh.

'_Now what?'_ she asked herself as she took another bite.

"I just can't think of the last time I've seen anyone get so much pleasure simply by eating."

"I'm not apologizing again. Eating is important!" She said directly, "I have to admit, I really do love hamburgers."

"That much is clear." Kuon said quietly as he took the final spoonful of soup not even hiding the fact that he was staring.

He remembered watching Kyouko as a young girl. Wearing an orange checkered dress and her hair in pigtails, she was excitedly moving among the hamburger shaped rocks.

Kyouko blushed but only for a minute before she went back to finishing her food. '_What was that look for?_'

Just as she finished her final bite, she heard both of their phones go off. Kuon took his phone out and looked at it before he put it away.

"Looks like we have to get going. They've found another body and this time it's a woman. We've quite possibly found our charm killer's next victim."

* * *

A/N: Apologies again for any spelling/grammatical errors. Thanks so much also for

**Reviews**: Celtika82, Daredevil (fan)girl, Jingyee1511, Otaku12367, 3 happiness, LBeth2007, Trinity1012, NamesCat, kaitlynchosenisme, misao 97, onliafaze, Indiahenna, CrystallineX, Neheigh Fluffydoodle, ecchri, Mango98, J and Guests(3)

**Faves**:SoleilNoir, animemanga luvr, Daredevil fangirl, Nonnaa1992, awesome22114, , LightningPrincessR, NanamiTsukyhime Ayako-San-GE, Court0509 and Jaz-147

**Follows**: animemanga luvr, MagicGirl1607, Jingyee1511, pwvgirl, elaneewilde, Serinakuya, Sulix , blacktohru, Indiahenna, Macemace360, silver starlight serpant, arienrhod, awesome22114, dulce88.A, LightningPrincessR, maplett, heartless16, paula sm96 Jaz-147, Court0509 and TomTheBoy

**An EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS goes out to: Daredevil (fan)girl, Jingyee1511, kaitlynchosenisme and Neheigh Fluffydoodle for reviewing every single chapter! With the craziness that is my life at this moment it means SO much more to me than you realize! ^_^**


	9. Peril

**I do not own Skip Beat! or its characters.**

**Thanks so much for reviews, faves and follows.**

* * *

"You'll probably want to put your mask on." Kuon said quickly as he got out of the car.

_'No way! If you aren't going to I certainly won't.'_ Kyouko thought as she quickened her pace so that she walked beside him.

An officer hurried by looking green as Kuon and Kyouko entered the apartment.

The scene was a bit more grotesque than the others. The first thing they noticed were the numbers one, two and three written on the walls in blood as an officer guided them through the hall.

"The body is in the tub. It looks like it's been there for a couple of days but the distinguishing features are still there. Obviously the smell has overtaken the place."

"I've obviously dealt with better, but I've also smelled worse." Kuon stated as they walked into the small space, frowning as he took in the large number four on the tile above the body. "All I know is that we have to get to the bottom of this.

"You may just be in luck." said an officer. "We managed to find someone here. He's in the squad car."

"What's his story?" Kuon asked in surprise.

"He looks like he's just coming down from something. Hopefully a little while in the holding cell will dry him out. Right now we can hold him on breaking and entering."

"I'm not sure how much help he'll be to us but we have to try. Go ahead and take him in." Kuon said as they stepped aside for Ikihara who gave them a small smile as she walked by.

"Based on the temperature and stage of decomp I'd put time of death at approximately three days." She said quickly. "I can tell you that she's definitely female. Her shirt appears to be missing and there's a small tattoo visible near her navel. I can't tell if there are signs of any kind of assault."

"That doesn't seem to be the killer's MO." Kuon remarked, "He probably just caught her at a bad time.

Kyouko had walked into the living room and was looking around at the pictures before she walked back down the hall. "There's another child, a boy." She said quietly. _'In fact, there's been a child in each of these cases.'_ she thought as she remembered the reports and interviews.

"We've checked and the place has been cleared." An officer chimed in.

"She appears to be gripping something." Ikihara said as she reached for some tweezers.

A slight slurping sound could be heard as an assistant came in and used their gloved hands to open the victim's left hand slightly. Kuon got two small evidence bags ready, hoping he wouldn't have to use them. He was quickly disappointed as she pulled out two silver, bloodstained letters. Kuon shoved the bags angrily into his case.

"Another piece of the puzzle. What does this mean?" Kyouko asked quietly as another officer entered.

"It could be anything." Kuon responded tersely as he looked again at the number written in blood. "It looks like we'll be looking for eight victims instead of six."

"I just found a purse. An officer said, using his gloved hand to pull out a wallet. He handed it to Kuon.

Kuon took off the dirty gloves he was wearing and pulled on some more that Kyouko gave to him as he took the item. "Her name is Haruka Ito." he sighed, '_So far that makes T, O, M, I , U, S, H, I._' Kuon had just put the wallet away when he heard a commotion at the door. Kyouko and Kuon went to the front quickly as they heard the shouting.

"What's the meaning of this? What are the police doing in my ex-girlfriend's house?" A medium built, brown-haired man was pacing as a young boy stood behind him.

Kuon reached out a hand to the man, "I'm a detective from TMPD homicide. I just wanted— "

He was unable to finish his sentence as the man interrupted him with a shout, "Homicide! Do you mean to tell me that Haruka has been—"

"Sir, you might not want to say too much in front of him." Kyouko jumped in quickly as her gaze went to the young boy. "Here I can take him while my partner talks to you." She added as she took the boy's hand.

"Dad?" The boy asked timidly as his eyes went up to the man.

"You guys go ahead and walk around for a little bit Hiro." He replied in a shaky voice as he attempted to smile reassuringly at the boy.

"Okay." He responded as he looked to Kyouko.

As they walked away Kuon began again finishing the question the man posed, "I'm afraid the answer to your question is yes."

"Haruka." He said softly as he started pacing. "This can't be happening."

"I'm very sorry for your loss." Kuon said as he took out his pad. "It's never a good time for this but I'm afraid I have a few questions to ask you. "First off, I need to know where she works."

"She was an assistant chef at the Peninsula." He said before he looked at Kuon again, "You're sure it's her?"

Kuon nodded, "The M.E. has been able to use a distinguishing feature to make a positive ID."

"She never got into trouble. I don't understand."

"I noticed you said ex girlfriend. As far as you know was she involved with anyone?"

He shook his head. "She dedicated herself to Hiro and work. That's part of the reason we broke up." He replied.

"We couldn't find a car. Did she drive?"

"No. Either me or her dad would drive her. Otherwise she would get a ride with a coworker. I always take Hiro with me every other week from Tuesday to Friday."

Kuon frowned as he wrote. '_So the killer knew she would be alone.'_

_"_You have to find the person who did this." He implored. "Hiro is going to be heartbroken. I'm not even sure how I'm going to tell him."

Kuon handed him a card. "It's always best if it's someone he knows." He said as he handed him a card, "This is an organization that has grief counselors available should you need it."

"Thank you." The man said as he gripped the small piece of paper. "I'll talk to her parents and figure something out."

"If you can think of anything at all, please don't hesitate to call." Kuon said as the man nodded,

"My name's Daisuke by the way. Thank your partner for her quick thinking. I was shocked at the time."

"That's understandable. She seems to know the right thing to do when it comes to the victims and she's good with children as well."

"That's a great trait to have. That was one of the things that drew me to Haruka. I'm sorry." He hastily added as Kyouko came walking back up.

"It's fine. We all deal with death in our own way." Kuon replied quietly. "Thanks so much for your time. You have been helpful."

"We better go." Daisuke added as he put an arm around Hiro.

"Where are we going? Where's mom?" Hiro asked.

"We're going back home. Then later we'll go see your grandparents. I have something important to tell you."

Hiro nodded, giving Kyouko a small wave before they walked off. She returned the gesture as she looked after him and Katsuo entered her thoughts. _  
_

* * *

Kuon and Kyouko were now back at the station with the suspect that had been taken into custody.

"I'll do all the talking." Kuon said as they walked into the windowless room. "My hope is that he'll be more open to talking if he sees you."

Kyouko nodded as they walked to the door. The door was barely closed behind her before the man started to jump up but the handcuffs held him back.

"Take a seat, _Tanikawa-san._" Kuon said rudely as he lowered the man back into the chair.

"I don't even know why I'm here! I saw the door was open and I was hungry so I— "

"Do you expect me to believe that you couldn't smell a decaying body inside the place?" Kuon asked menacingly as his eyes hardened.

"Honestly, my nose isn't really what it used to be." The man replied apologetically. "I really don't rely on it that much anymore." He finished as he rubbed it.

"That's not an excuse!" Kuon said through gritted teeth. "We got the call from a neighbor complaining about the smell. Do you think it's okay to invite yourself into people's houses?"

"No! I would never.. Of course not! It's just that I haven't eaten for three days. I was desperate."

"The victim's purse was inside. Maybe you were also desperate enough to get a little yen."

The man's eyes looked to Kyouko for a quick moment before they dropped. "I couldn't help myself. Nobody was around."

"That's because the victim was dead!" Kuon shouted slowly.

"I barely got anything when the officers came in."

'_That's all we'll get out of this one.'_ Out loud he continued, "Right now, we have you on the hook for robbery. Dead or alive it's never okay to take something that's not yours." Kuon laughed as he finished, "I feel like I'm talking to a child." He said as he motioned to the camera.

An officer entered a few minutes later. "Book him and put him in a cell."

The officer nodded as the man jumped up in protest, "But wait a second! That means I'll be stuck here all weekend. How am I supposed to get what I need if I'm stuck in a cell?"

"I don't really give a shit what happens to you! If you continue with this addiction it will only cause you more problems. Ask the infirmary for something to take the edge off. It will probably do you some good." Kuon responded as he clenched a fist.

He still couldn't believe the audacity the man had to just walk in through an open door. Turning to Kyouko he said, "We're just about done here. We'll call it a night and I'll see you bright and early at the station." Then he turned to face her and added in a teasing tone, "We also have to finish that dinner."

"I'll be here. And no thanks. You've done too much already. I'm sorry for imposing."

"Why are you always apologizing?"

"Excuse me?" Kyouko asked.

"Why are you so fucking polite?"

"That's how I've been from the time I was a child. I do it without thinking. I'm so—"

"There's no need to apologize again." Kuon did in fact remember that she was quite traditional as a child.

"I'll do my best to remember that when I'm around you." She said quickly.

Kuon sighed, "You can be yourself. It's just that you do it even when you've done nothing wrong. You'll make it a lot further on the force if you give yourself more credit. There are times where apologizing might signal weakness. "

"I understand." Kyouko said softly as she wondered to herself what brought on his unwarranted advice.

* * *

The man sat in silence as he eyed the eight silver charms hanging from the bracelet. Once they were all gone his mission would be accomplished.

"Break's over." He said quietly to himself as the letters caught the small shaft of moonlight peeking in through the window.

He was scheduled to work the graveyard shift this evening. It was time to get to know the woman a little bit. From what he could tell she fit the criteria but if his horrible upbringing had told him anything, it was that circumstances constantly changed. It was safer to make sure otherwise he would throw the timeline completely off.

He went to the work card photos he had lined up of his first four victims. He gently fingered the locks of hair attached to them as a smile appeared on his face. "I can't wait to get back to work. I miss the smell and the screams."

He stood up and smoothed out his all black uniform which was the requirement for this particular shift. He also worked the same shift again in a couple of days. That was his planned moment to strike. The black hid the blood better should any land on him. Much like a woman it could prove to be quite a difficult substance at times even if he couldn't get enough of it.

He locked the five locks on his door before he settled into his late model Honda Accord and made his way back to the Peninsula Tokyo Hotel. A large smile formed again on his face as the bright lights of the parking garage greeted him.

_This week was going to be a good one._ He decided as he slammed his car door shut.

His steel toed shoes hitting the concrete were the only sound that penetrated the enclosure as he made his way inside the Peninsula to the floor he would be working overnight.

* * *

Kyouko had just exited her car. She was about to close the door when she saw him.

'_Shou.'_

She'd recognize that head of hair anywhere. Kyouko watched him as he walked alongside another man before entering a sushi restaurant. Grabbing her sunglasses she waited five minutes before she entered the building. She was just trying to do a little grocery shopping but felt at that moment it could wait. As she entered a server greeted her.

"Table for one?"

Kyouko nodded as she took off her glasses and saw Shou walking to the back of the restaurant. "If you could may I have a small booth please?"

"Yes but the only ones are in the back of the restaurant."

"That's fine." She gave a slight bow with a smile, _'Just what is he up to?'_

As she was led to her seat she could hear the voices but was unable to make them out over the clanging of dishes and banging of trays.

'_I have to admit this is a good spot they picked. He must be used to coming here.'_ she thought as she looked past them hoping there was a restroom. She was in luck as she saw the doors to the bathroom area swing open. Kyouko got up from her seat when she heard the voice of the waiter.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Just some water please." She responded quickly, giving the man a smile before he left to the kitchen.

She got up and walked just slowly enough that she could catch some of the conversation but not be noticed. Unfortunately all she was able to catch on the way there were the words, "building", "business" and "money." As she went about freshening up she took a minute before leaving. Once she walked by again the table was silent as they were now eating.

"I'll have to get to the bottom of this." She said quietly as her drink was brought over.

She contemplated making another trip but by the time the waiter asked her for her order their check had been paid and they were gone.

* * *

"Enter."

The man lowered the collar of his shirt, revealing a red dragon tattoo as he entered the room and bowed to the man in the chair.

"To what do I owe the _pleasure_ of this unscheduled visit?"

"Many apologies Nidaime. I just wanted to keep you updated on our continuing issues with the fifth Chinese triads. They keep trying to encroach on our businesses."

"What do you mean keep trying. Why hasn't the threat been subdued?" the Nidaime asked in an angry tone.

"Well that's Egashi-san's area and well."

"That fucking idiot!" He shouted as a vein throbbed in his forehead. "I had to put him there because of his connections and that's what Isobe-san wanted. I'm done with him."

The visitor gave a sigh of relief, "What are your orders, Nidaime?"

He sat back and closed his eyes in meditation for a few moments. "First have Kasai bring in the Vietnamese reinforcements. That should at least get the current threat out of the way. We also need to prevent this from happening in the future." He finished quietly.

"What about the TMPD officers?"

"As long as we don't get too out of control, they are willing to look the other way for the moment. We also have close to 80 officers on the payroll. I want to see if I can get a couple more in the third and ninth divisions but it's best not to push our luck."

"It is so ordered, Nidaime." The man replied with a bow.

"Also set up a meeting with the Toriyamas. We need to get things back in order. At last check his son was looking for women to use in the next joint operation. I'm hoping he's been at least partially successful in that venture."

"Once the Toriyamas decide on something, it will always be successful."

"I'm counting on it." The Nidaime stated. "It's time we straightened out Egashi's mess and got things back on track."

* * *

"Good morning, Ishibashi-san." Kyouko greeted Hikaru with a bow. She had to get used to being here so early this morning.

"Where's your partner?" Hikaru asked warily. For weeks he had been trying to work up the nerve to ask her out but Hizuri was always with her. If he didn't know better he would almost think...

"He had some business to take care of upstairs." Kyouko's voice cut in, bringing Hikaru out of his reverie. "You said you found something in the phone."

"Ah, yes!" He replied quickly, jumping out of the seat to walk over to the table in the middle of the room. "Everything was pretty much fried. I had to rebuild most of it. Luckily the most important part of the phone wasn't affected."

"You're really good at this!" She stated with a smile as she looked at him.

"So, um, I was able to retrieve some text messages that I hope can help." He said nervously as he plugged a cord in and moved his fingers rapidly over the computer keyboard.

Minutes later, the phone menu appeared on the screen. Picking up the mobile phone, he opened up the message folder to reveal various names.

"I'm not seeing any that ring a bell." Kyouko remarked to herself as she went over the letters ingrained in her head. "Who's this person?" She asked as she pointed to a name on the screen.

"Ah. Katashi Anno." He said as he handed her the phone.

"I'll go ahead and see if I can reach him." Kyouko said as she dialed the number. After a few moments someone picked up. "Hello? This is Kyouko Mogami, I'm a detective with the TMPD. I was hoping I'd be able to talk to you about Sohma-san." She paused and nodded as the person talked. "Okay that's good. I'll see you in an hour." She finished before hanging up. "Thanks a lot Ishibashi-san." Kyouko said as she got ready to leave.

"Hold on Kyouko!" He exclaimed quickly as she turned around in surprise. "Sorry for sounding so urgent. It's just that I was wondering if you would perhaps like to go out to dinner with me sometime."

Kyouko paused as she thought it over. Surely dinner with a coworker and friend wouldn't be so bad. She figured it would be much more comfortable than dinner with her partner. "Sure. Unfortunately with our current caseload I'm not sure when I'll be available but you know how to reach me. Take care Ishibashi-san." She said before she left the room.

Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief not even realizing that he actually didn't have any number besides the one for her desk at work. "At least she didn't say no." He remarked quietly as his eyes went back to the computer screen.

* * *

Kyouko made it in around 1 am, more than ready to call it a day. After four hours in the conference room with Hizuri and three other detectives they had come no closer to figuring out the message the Charm Killer was trying to send. Each time they thought they had something there was nothing like it on file. Her interview with Sohma's friend Katashi Anno had also been fruitless. They were good friends and he was hoping someday it would become more. It turned out he was just trying to set up a date with her through his mails and calls. He was visibly upset when he learned the news of her death.

Kyouko heated up dinner and dragged herself into the chair to eat it before trudging to the shower. It wasn't until she got her clothes ready for the next day that Kyouko realized she didn't have much left in the way of clean clothing to wear around the house. She had her work clothes cleaned and ironed but not much else laundry was done outside of that. Kyouko prided herself on her housekeeping and this wasn't usually something Kyouko let herself get so far behind on.

Lately though, there just weren't enough hours in the day. She had meant to toss the rest of the load in after washing the sheets last night but just hadn't gotten around to it. Between late nights at work, cooking her meals, keeping her apartment spotless and then going over cases from work some more the time got away from her and that was with staying up late. She had learned recently that being too tired was becoming bad for her health and wanted to make sure she got enough rest.

Kyouko groaned to herself, "Just great. I can't believe I let this happen." She said to herself as she looked through the dresser. "I'll have to remember to get that load done tomorrow."

Throwing on a shirt and some shorts she was a little embarrassed about her appearance. She told herself she was just going to be spending the night under the covers anyway so decided not to think about it too much. Sleep took her as soon as her head hit the pillow.

It seemed as if no time had passed at all when Kyouko woke up with a start. The fogginess remained for a bit. Her brain barely registered the click of handcuffs around her wrists before a pair of hands settled firmly around her throat, holding her down in the bed.


	10. Protection

**I do not own Skip Beat! or its characters.**

**I wanted to send my thoughts out to those affected by the recent earthquakes in the Phillipines as well as the wildfires in Australia and any other natural disasters in areas that I am not aware of at the moment.**

**Thanks for your reviews, fav(e)s and follows! I'm seriously surprised (and gratified) at the response! ^_^ Names at the end.**

******A bit graphic and I'll also mention a possible trauma/trigger warning for this chapter.**

* * *

Kuon rose in bed quickly. Something wasn't right. He looked around the room taking in his surroundings as his sleepy haze lifted.

"I have a bad feeling." He said to himself, "I'm positive it has to do with Kyouko." He picked up his phone and dialed but it went right to voicemail. He tried again with the same response. "Shit!" He cursed. They were on call so there was no way she would let her phone die or go straight to her message. He dialed again and was relieved to hear Kaneshiro on the other end.

"Hizuri." came the gruff response.

"I hate to bother you at this hour but I've been trying to reach Mogami and it's going right to her voice message."

"Nothing's come in over dispatch. What made you decide to call her now?" Kuon held his tongue as he got dressed since he couldn't really explain it. Lucky for him, Kaneshiro continued, "Never mind. Just get there as quickly as you can. Do you know where she lives?"

"Yes I already looked it up. It's 362."

"I'm getting ready and I'm on my way. I'll see you when I get there."

* * *

**One hour earlier**

"Don't move or scream!" The voice growled.

_'As if I could even if I wanted to.'_ Kyouko thought as the hands loosened and she let out a cough.

Kyouko looked around. The room was almost completely dark except for a sliver of moonlight that peeked in through the window. It shined on a patch of bright hair. She couldn't tell if it was blond or silver but it looked long. As she attempted to move against the restraints a voice in the background spoke.

"There's no use trying to move. Right now you're unable to. You want to be careful with those handcuffs also. You can't feel anything now but you'll certainly feel it later."

Kyouko started to panic as she realized that she in fact had no feeling anywhere in her body. To make things worse it seemed there were two people here.

"What do you want?" She asked resolved to keeping the fear out of her voice.

"The person who sent us just wanted to let you know that they miss you dearly. I can see why. You are quite intriguing." He said as Kyouko felt her anger rise.

"Let me go!" She exclaimed as her grudges began to surface. Unfortunately they would be of no help to her now.

"This is the part of you that attracts me the most. I'd love nothing more than to control people with a thought. But I'd rather read yours instead and unfortunately I have to go by his rules."

"Whose rules?" She asked. '_It must be that idiot Shou.'_

"Don't worry if you're meant to know you will."

"Who are you?"

"You don't need to know who I am. Just know that I am a representative of the Vie Ghoul triad."

'_Beagle? What kind of name is that? Are they a group? Part of the yakuza? It must be pretty small since I've never heard of it._'

"We are small but let's just say that we stand alone and go with whatever leader is able to provide what we need. It's best for us to be flexible and go with the flow."

"You can read my thoughts."

"I don't care much about thoughts but more about action. I know about something else I wouldn't mind having a little fun with." The voice above her said. "Consider this payment for my services." He said as the man used a hand to grab the top of Kyouko's shorts using the other to unzip himself.

She closed her eyes both in revulsion and anger, still unable to move.

"Not another move." Reino cut in. "There was supposed to be no touching of the "merchandise." We're just supposed to give her a scare."

"I'll put some fear into her alright. You might have said you wouldn't touch her but I never said anything like that." Came the voice again as she felt a cold hand run up and down her left leg followed by a sound squishing sound she didn't want to place.

Reino shrugged, "While my paralytic abilities have improved over the years there are still limitations. I don't have to touch you to have an effect but it can only be done on one body at a time. I'll do everything I can to help you but obviously I am in no position to make any guarantees.

_'Help! You say that after you let this monster inside of here?'_ She asked as the man's rubbing and kneading continued. Kyouko really wished she could do something but at the moment it just wasn't going to happen.

"Unfortunately that couldn't be helped. Inanimate objects are something I don't have much control over so I needed his help to get me in. Speaking of help." He said as he held up the blue stone in the sliver of light. "You should get rid of this."

"I won't."

"You can give it to me and I'll dispose of it for you."

"That isn't going to happen."

"It's your funeral. Don't say I didn't warn you." Reino said absently as he tossed the stone on the dresser by the door.

"You know you're much nicer when you're mouth isn't moving." The other voice cut in, "Perhaps there's a way to get you to stop talking." He finished as he removed her shorts, running his hands along her body again as the sound continued. This time he started from her mouth and moved down. Even though she was thoroughly disgusted, Kyouko had no control over her body's reaction.

'_Seriously, I can't feel anything and this happens?'_ she thought desperately as she closed her eyes again at another unwanted intrusion. '_If only I could get some movement back in my legs a good training move would work.'_

Reino gave a soft click with his tongue, "I can see why he's so into you. If I wanted I could make you think of no one but me."

"So could I." said the man, "I can already tell I'm having an effect on you." He said as he rubbed a hand against an erect nipple.

Kyouko groaned in frustration as she tried again to get her body to move. "You can tell yourself what you want. Just because my body responds does not mean I want you to keep going. The answer is _no_ and I meant it!" She screamed before she felt a hand clamp down over her mouth.

To her delight she was able to open her mouth and bite down on it.

"Fuck!" the man said as he put a clammy hand around her throat. "You'll be sorry you did that." he said with a laugh as his other hand with a knife grazed her arm and she could feel the cut forming. "That's my little helper. I can use it deeper if I have to."

Now she couldn't breathe but she realized with that she was starting to get the feeling back. It would only be a matter of time before her legs could move. She only had to hold on for a little while longer but at the moment that seemed to be in jeopardy as she fought to take a breath. Just then the pressure eased as Kyouko coughed.

"As much as I enjoy a good show I already told you she wasn't to be harmed. Put that tape on for now."

"With pleasure." The man responded as he put the thick, gray tape over her mouth. "You know life would be a lot easier for you if you kept that annoying little mouth of yours closed." He said as he reached for her panties, "Now let's get back to where we left off. We'll get you started first. I want you to be good and ready for it." He finished as he parted her legs then started to move them down and got his hand positioned while bringing his head in lower.

Kyouko's eyes went wide as at long last it felt like she was on pins and needles. She wasn't sure what it meant but since she hadn't felt it until now she took it as a sign that the feeling was returning. She just needed him to move a little bit closer for the move she had planned.

'_There_!' In one agonizingly slow movement Kyouko mustered up all of the strength her shaky legs allowed, using the entire force of them as she lifted them a little and closed her thighs in on the man's head. She gritted her teeth as the movement caused the bonds to dig into her wrists, then sighed in relief as it brought him up to his knees yelling.

"You annoying little bitch!" He fumed as he held onto his throbbing temples.

Now capable of more movement, Kyouko planted her right foot into the bed. Right before he moved down, his fist ready to punch her in the face, her knee connected solidly to the sensitive area she had been aiming for. She was now completely forgotten as his hands went to his groin and he howled in obvious pain.

She moved her left leg this time and connected with the side of his head which ultimately brought him down with a loud thud as he collapsed backwards and off of the bed. Unfortunately she couldn't move her other leg in time as his right hand, still loosely holding the knife left a couple of two inch surface cuts along her thigh and calf as he went down.

"Impressive." Reino remarked.

'_You think so. How about you come over here too. I'd love nothing better than to show you what else I can do._"

"Sorry, I'm not that stupid. Plus I don't have much tolerance for pain. Besides my job here's done. Can't say much for him but I can't afford to get caught." Reino said as he motioned to the heap on the ground, "Don't worry, I'll leave your door open. Someone will come looking for you won't they? Oh and you should really consider what I said about that stone." With that he was gone.

'_Like I'd ever take advice from someone who stood by and let this happen! Come back here you idiot Beagle!'_

Kyouko heard the man's laughter followed by a slam of her front door. Kyouko racked her brain trying to figure out how to get out of her current predicament. There was no one thinking or even looking for her at this hour. She tried to move harder against the bracelets to take her mind off of the current state her body was in. Thankfully, in the process of trying to get free her shirt had moved down effectively covering her up.

'T_his will have to work for now.'_

Ten minutes later Kyouko heard the creak of the front door as it opened. Her heart thudded rapidly against her chest and her breathing got shallow as she tried to figure out who it could be.

"Mogami? Are you here?"

Kyouko closed her eyes and took a deep breath at the sound of her partner's voice. She never expected him to be the person to find her but she'd be lying if she wasn't relieved. Her current state was the last thing on her mind as she saw lights being flipped on. First in the hallway and finally in her room.

"Kyouko!" Kuon yelled out, his eyes not believing what he saw.

* * *

Reino had barely left the apartment when Miroku walked up to him.

"So how did things go?"

"With me they were fine. It was Misaki that caused the problem."

"I told you there were better people who could help you gain entry. I could have come along."

"You're no fun Miroku. Besides I would have never gotten a look at the thoughts that I did."

"I hope you didn't restrain her? What's with you and holding people and things captive?"

"It wasn't me who did anything." Reino replied sincerely.

Just then Miroku's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"So is everything done?" Akio asked on the other end.

"Reino says that he's handled it."

"I left her in a pretty desperate position. She held her own very well though I must say. Better than I expected anyway." Reino piped up.

"Great, that should leave her good and scared. And she has no place to go. She's not on good terms with that partner of hers and that restaurant has no extra space either. Now I can keep an eye on the place and watch her run like a scared child."

"I don't want to know what you're talking about but we've kept up our end of the bargain."

"In fact you have. And for that I thank you. I look forward to doing business with you again."

* * *

Kuon only took a moment to survey the scene in front of him. He saw a burly man passed out on the ground with a small knife a short distance away from his hand. He saw Kyouko in handcuffs with duct tape on her mouth wearing only a shirt that went down to her upper thigh. The two cuts that were bleeding were right below it.

_'First things first.'_ He thought as he moved to the bed, "This is going to hurt but it's better to get it off quickly."

Kyouko nodded as he pulled and she cried out at the slight sting. "Thank you." She said quietly. "I'm not sure but I think these are mine. If they are then the keys over in the dresser in the bottom drawer."

Kuon moved quickly to retrieve it and they were both thankful when it slid in.

"You're bleeding." he said as he removed them.

"They're all surface cuts. I was trying to get free." She said quickly as Kuon's attention turned to the cuts. "But what I really want to do is go put these on him." She said, mindful of her appearance as she went and put the cuffs on the man before she dragged herself up. "If you'll excuse me I have to get dressed." She added quickly right as Kuon saw her shorts on the bed.

"He didn't —?"

She shook her head, "No but he got way too close for my liking." Kyouko replied as she felt the first sting of tears. She'd rather Kuon not be there to see them. "I'm sure Kaneshiro will be here soon so I need to get myself together."

"You know you did everything you could under the —" Kuon began

"I know, but it still happened." Kyouko cut him off as she went to the door. '_I just have to do my best to get it out of my mind.'_

Just like that Kuon was standing on the other side of a slightly open door.

Kyouko grabbed another pair of underwear, a shirt and shorts, wishing she had time for a shower but grabbed a washcloth and locked herself in the bathroom instead. She turned on the sink and finally allowed herself to cry. Her shoulders slumped and her body sagged as she went to the ground and dissolved into tears. She buried her face in her hands for a few excruciating minutes. Pulling herself up, they didn't stop as she busied herself running the rough, hot towel along every inch of her skin.

She made the towel scalding hot again and this time rubbed it even harder against herself until she could feel a slight burn all over. The rational part of her knew she had no control over her reaction but she still wanted to punish herself in a way for having any response at all. It made her feel a little better but the cuts she had still smarted. Fifteen minutes later, she turned off the water and put on her clothes. She washed her face a few times making sure that she looked alright.

"I'm sorry, we had to get to him." Kuon said, motioning to the now semi-conscious man on the floor as she opened the bathroom door. "Do you have any idea who he is?" He asked as the man was now more fully awake.

Kyouko stood frozen in place as she shook her head. Her response wasn't lost on Kuon who's mouth set in a tight line. He roughly brought the man up with one hand and took comfort in the scream of pain that came out. "You're under arrest for breaking and entering and attempted rape." He said as he shoved the man toward another officer. Turning to her Kuon added, "You're going to have to talk to an officer. After everything there's no sense dragging you to the station."

"Thanks." Kyouko replied as she looked around for her stone. She had to get out of this room and now.

As they left the room Kaneshiro met them in the hall.

"Are you okay?" He asked briskly.

"I've been better." Kyouko said in a shaky voice, "But things could have been much worse."

"Who would do this? Do you have any idea?"

Kyouko shook her head. "The only person I can think of is Shou. But he wasn't the one who was here. The man had longer hair and I remember seeing that it was a weird color in the moonlight. Besides now that I think about it there's no reason for Shou to come after me."

"He's not even in town." Kaneshiro said. "I just talked to his parents and they just left last night to Hokkaido for the week. A family holiday or a marriage or something."

Kyouko shrugged. Kuon looked at her and couldn't help noting how lost she was. "Sir, we can leave this all to be sorted out. Right now I think she should just talk to the officer and go."

Kyouko said nothing but she was grateful. She really didn't want to be here anymore. Then there was a commotion behind them.

"What are you arresting me for? You need to cuff that bitch. She's the reason for all of this trouble!"

Without a thought Kuon walked over and told the officer to unlock the handcuffs. "So you have no problem trying to attack defenseless women? How about you try to go after me?" Right as the man raised his hands Kuon punched the man squarely in the jaw, knocking him out cold again. "There. Now that's an EF complaint I have no problem with taking." He said as he motioned for the officer to put the cuffs back on.

"I never saw anything." remarked another officer as Kaneshiro gave him a look.

"With this settled for right now this is going to be treated as a crime scene." He stated turning to Kyouko, "So you'll need a place to stay. I for one suggest you stay with your partner."

Kyouko suppressed a shiver. She wasn't certain she'd be able to stay here for right now anyway. "I can get a hotel."

"With what money?" Kaneshiro asked as he looked around at the ransacked living room. "You do realize that with the state of your apartment it could be at the very least a couple of weeks."

"I'll find it somehow." Kyouko responded wearily. She was really in no mood to argue.

"Even with an advance I don't think as a second year you have all that yen available."

He was right but Kyouko had to avoid getting in this situation. Even living with a stranger would be better than living with a person she knew hated her.

"I can stay with my friend." Kyouko chimed in as she reached for her phone to dial.

"And what if this person decides to follow you there?" Kaneshiro asked, "At this point we don't even know who it is. Are you willing to put her in danger?"

Kyouko paused for a moment, clearly not sure how to answer.

"Then it's settled." Kaneshiro stated. "Just to make sure we're all on the same page I've decided to change my mind and make that an order. We'd be providing you with police protection wherever you were but I'll sleep better knowing you're getting it from the best officer."

"Makes perfect sense to me." Kuon stated matter of factly. "She is my partner after all."

Kyouko could only stand with her mouth open as she looked between the two men. She didn't have the time or the energy to figure out what person had currently taken over the body of her partner. After another minute she finally said,

"I just have to get a few things."

"Good. I'll call you in the morning." Kaneshiro said quickly as he gave a nod and went out the door.

* * *

The tension blanketed the car's interior as they drove to Kuon's house, though it was mainly because of Kyouko. She took a few deep breaths before she spoke, "I'm sure it doesn't change anything but I'm sorry to inconvenience you. Obviously I didn't ask for my place to be broken into but I never meant for you to be affected." She was wringing her hands now.

Kuon sighed, "It's good that you're okay. That was pretty quick thinking given the fact that you were asleep."

"Thank you." She replied as she looked out the window. Her tears threatened again.

Thankfully the drive wasn't for much longer as they pulled up to Kuon's house a few minutes later.

"I can finally give you the grand tour but we can do it in the morning. For now we have to get those cuts taken care of."

"It's no problem really. I just need a first aid kit and I can handle the rest."

"Nonsense." He said as he opened his door. "This one especially looks pretty serious." Kuon stated fingering the cut on her wrist lightly as Kyouko held back a grimace.

"You've really done enough so there's no need to trouble yourself further." Kyouko said as they pulled into his large driveway. Once they got inside Kuon hit a switch on his phone and the lights came on along with a robotic female voice that said,

"Alarm now deactivated."

"Wow! You didn't tell me about that last time." Kyouko said. "I'm glad nothing went off."

"Actually my dad just had it installed. You can put your stuff in the room over there and then come right back over here. I'll go get what I need."

"I really wish you would just let me do it." Kyouko began but Kuon waved a hand as he walked away.

Five minutes later he had bandages, antispetic spray and some cream to prevent scarring. "I'll start with the ones on your leg. Now this is going to sting." He said.

Kyouko gritted her teeth as he slowly applied the spray. "These are sort of deep." He said when he got to her wrists. "Can you even move them."

"Yes, it does hurt some but that's to be expected."

"Try to hold still." He said as he held up her right wrist.

It was then both he and Kyouko realized she was trembling.

"After all that's happened and only now I'm shaking." She said with a laugh.

"It's okay. For that to happen is completely understandable given what you've been through." Kuon said, holding her wrist up lightly as his eyes met hers. "It's just the adrenaline." He had been in enough fights to know the feeling. To her dismay, Kyouko realized she was close to crying again. Kuon decided not to push her, ignoring her shining eyes as he continued, "I'm just going to finish cleaning these up. It won't take me any time at all. I promise."

"It's fine." Kyouko replied softly. "It's good that you showed up. Or else I'd still be stuck there in my..." Kyouko stopped as she felt her voice start to break.

"You don't have to say anything." Kuon replied reassuringly. It was the complete opposite of the intense anger he felt at that moment. _'That man was lucky there were so many officers around.'_ He thought darkly before he checked his response as he wasn't sure of the reason for it. '_It's just because he's left my partner in this state. I know she's strong but nobody deserves this. Especially her, she's already been through so much.'_ he told himself. That had to be it.

"So." Kyouko asked in an effort to change the subject, "You know I have to ask. I was just wondering how—?"

"Let me guess. You want to know how I can afford a house like this on a police officer's salary. If I tell you the reason I'm certain you won't believe it."

"Try me."

"Okay since you asked." Kuon said, taking a pause as he raised an eyebrow and looked back at Kyouko before he kept going, "When I first came to Japan I worked as a model and actor. I worked hard but after four years I lost my desire for it."

"You're right I don't believe you."

"I have the DVD's right over there." Kuon said pointing over to a bookshelf. "If you really need convincing, you can talk to Lory. He bought a couple of the production companies that made these dramas. Anyway I saved up quite a bit of money and still get something from the royalties. One of my goals was to get my own place before I was thirty so here I am."

"Wow! I never would have imagined." Kyouko said as she gave him a hint of a smile. "I'd love to see one of those love dramas sometime."

Kuon, remembering how close to the breaking point she was earlier, saw a bit of an opening and took it as he replied, "Well there's no time like the present. So if you want we can pop one in right now."

"That actually sounds good." Kyouko said eagerly as she stood up, her pain was an afterthought now. "I need to take my mind off of things and could use a good laugh." She added.

"I was good at what I did!" Kuon replied in mock indignation. "As was my dad. I followed in his exact footsteps." He said, '_Well almost exactly._' He thought as his mind went dark again at remembering how those early auditions went in America.

"Well perhaps someday I'll get to meet him."

"Actually." Kuon replied as he held back a groan when he remembered. "Both of my parents will be here in another week so it looks like you'll get your chance." When he saw the look of embarrassment on Kyouko's face Kuon thought fast and quickly added, "There's plenty of space here. You won't be a problem at all. If anything you can cook something my dad might actually eat. My mom and I are terrible at it."

Kyouko smiled again then, "I think I'd like that." She said faintly. "As for watching the drama, I just need to take a shower and change and I'll be ready."

"I probably should too." Kuon said as he looked at the clock. Four a.m. "I'll meet you back here on the couch in thirty."

Kyouko nodded as Kuon went up the stairs. In the shower Kyouko took her time scrubbing her entire body until it was red but this time she no longer felt like crying. Feeling better she stepped out of the shower and looked at herself in the mirror, thankful that there was no evidence of her encounter in any place that was exposed by her uniform. She heaved a long sigh as she turned off the light.

Upstairs Kuon spent his time going over the events in his head. What had made him wake up at that moment? Whatever it was he found that he was glad things happened the way they did. Even before Kaneshiro had mentioned it he thought it would be a good idea for her to be here. Why was that exactly? Much like the murder cases, he decided it was better to deal with what was in front of him. It was better to be here for his partner at a time when she really needed it.

An hour later Kyouko was laughing as she watched a scene play out between Katsuki and Mio on _Dark Moon_.

"My goodness, that actress is horrible! How did you get through shooting a scene with her?"

"Barely, just barely." Was Kuon's reply as Kyouko picked up the DVD cover. "Luckily Director Ogata is really good at what he does."

"Ruriko Matsunai. I hope she didn't stay in acting for too long."

"Actually she won one of those "Find the Next Top Idol" contests."

"You mean those shows that leave the voting to the public?"

Kuon turned to face her. "How did you know?"

Kyouko flushed slightly as she replied in a low voice. "I actually followed those a lot when I first got to Tokyo." He didn't need to know that it had to do with Shou.

"Perhaps you should have gotten into acting."

"Easier said than done. I'm plain and boring so I wouldn't stand out."

"That's plain and boring." Kuon said as he gestured to Ruriko on the TV. "Whatever you might think, you're nothing like that. Just being in the TMPD takes you out of that category."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kyouko said, surprised now at her partner's compliment. An unwarranted compliment and advice all in the span of a week? What was going on? Who was this man? "Hmmm, perhaps I could have in another life."

Kuon nodded as he looked at the screen. '_I don't doubt it for one second.'_

Another hour later Kyouko started to drift off. She picked herself up though as she looked over to him, "I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record but I did want to thank you again. For everything. It's really helped to take my mind off of it all."

"It's no problem. I hope you'll let me know if you need anything."

Kyouko nodded as she said. "I will. Good night."

"Good night."

Kyouko was in bed now with every light in the room turned on as she tried to ponder the situation. Who exactly was after her? Why? Did it have to do with the cases or was it personal? One thing was certain. She wouldn't get any answers right now. Another tear slipped down her cheek as she shifted her focus to the bed. It was nice. More comfortable than anything she'd ever slept on. Kyouko closed her eyes and soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

Upstairs Kuon had a bit more trouble getting relaxed enough to get to bed. The first image of her cuffed to her bed, the blood a testament to the look of determination in her eyes that he saw the first day he met her played over and over in his mind. It seemed she had more guts than he imagined. He had no idea how she was holding it together at the moment but she was. He sighed and rolled over to his side as he took off his watch.

He could definitely tolerate her more now than he did before, that was for sure. He wanted to tell himself maybe it was because of what happened tonight. Then again, that couldn't be true. Slowly but surely her hard work was making her less of a headache. Right now he wasn't sure if it was because she was his partner or if it was because she was her. The one thing Kuon did know was that the next person who tried anything would be in for quite the rude awakening.

"God help the lowlife asshole that's after her. They'll have to deal with me." Kuon murmured in the dark room as he gripped the watch tightly.

* * *

**A/N**: Thanks for reading. Given the content I hope this development makes up for it. I'd like to think they have a bit more than just a partner connection given that they've met and spent time together before now even if only one of them knows it. I put in a warning just in case someone has dealt with this. I couldn't have anything happen since for me just the possibility of it is bad enough.

I also couldn't bring myself to have anyone come to Kyouko's rescue except Kuon so sorry Shou fans. As for the technique, part of it I was taught and the other part I stumbled onto by accident. I'll admit it's crude but it works and I'm small like Kyouko.

***Going into info you don't have to look at. Just go past the breaks if you're not interested as it's not my intent to force you to read.**

* * *

This update took a bit of time for me not only due to its length but also because I agonized over whether or not to include the first part at all. In light of a certain troll fic (at least that's what I believe it to have been) posted in this fandom I the writer in me wanted to use this as an opportunity to clear up what seems to be a major misconception. As a victim myself I understood the flames that fic got and I sincerely hope that none of you have been through it but sadly the numbers say otherwise.

This is obviously what I thought about what Reino did in the manga. My bias has already shown so I'm sure you saw it differently. Finally, if you're so inclined I wanted to include the link to a site called rape crisis . org . uk (Take out the spaces then click on the Myths and Realities tab.) Yes people do the things that are mentioned (for instance lie) but it's not always the case. My impromptu PSA is now over. Thanks a ton for indulging me this one time and for your understanding!

* * *

**With that done thanks so much for your**

**Reviews**: Neheigh Fluffydoodle, Daredevil fangirl, Trinity1012, CrystallineX, Lunar13, **onliafaze (100th reviewer!)**, Celtika82, Guests(4), FeatheredPhoenix, Iris Anthe, Shiroyuki76, kaitlynchosenisme, Kason, kaedenoha-tenshi, kagome7304 and monkeykixass, cloeskyler, Perfect Beauty, animemangaobsessed, Ashterbowden and mrs. zala

**Fav**(**e**)**s**: Iris Anthe, Minamoto Asagi, Shiroyuki76, Yuy Veritas. kaedanoha-tenshi and kagome7304, Oliviaaaox101 aria009hera and kit-kat97, Ashterbowden, Hannah Lin and mrs. zala

**Follows**: Minamoto Asagi, Serinakuya, asianelephantsandtea, cloeskyler, **kaidenoha-tenshi (100th follower!)**, kagome7304, kuroi zenth, saintNEKO, and youshouldn'tneedtoknow, Azeida, Collaborative Lady, LiveMyFantasy, Perfect Beauty, Serinakuya, akiradreham, kit-kat97, milmirjia xXShadowedfateXx, Ashterbowden, Hannah Lin and mrs. zala.


End file.
